Ree Drummond Says This Is the Most Surprising Factor That Led to Her 55-Pound Weight Loss Journey
Plus, a doctor explains why 'The Pioneer Woman's' approach is so effective.
Ree Drummond, AKA The Pioneer Woman, has been incredibly candid about her weight struggles. Last year the 54-year-old revealed exactly how she lost 55 pounds in just over a year after tipping the scale at her “highest weight ever”–and no, it didn’t involve popping a weight loss pill or following a specific diet.
“I didn't use a trainer, I didn't do Keto or Paleo or follow an official diet, I didn't eat specialty foods, and I didn't do intermittent fasting. Those things work for lots of people, which is wonderful! I just hadn't had success with them,” she writes.
Drummond then went on to reveal her secrets to losing weight—and one of them might surprise you.
Although eating “fewer calories,” consuming “smaller portions” and weighing her food were helpful in her weight loss journey, Ree emphasizes a major game changer: building muscle. “I built muscle by lifting weights and doing lunges and squats,” she writes, later referring to muscle building as “the gift that keeps on giving.”
“I can't emphasize this enough: Building muscle—not just the smaller muscles in your arms, but the larger muscles in your legs and butt—will turbo charge your weight loss like nothing else and set you up for more success,” she says. “The months I spent doing squats, lunges, and deadlifts early in my weight loss process really laid the foundation for a summer and fall of more efficient calorie burning.”
Related: The Best Workouts for Weight Loss, According to Trainers
According to Drummond, the decreasing numbers on the scale over the next two seasons were “without question” due to the muscle she had built.
“It's like an engine that's always working behind the scenes! The great part about it is that you can have a day or two or three when you fall off track with eating or exercise, but if you have that strong foundation of muscle, you can climb right back on the bike and not feel (or see) the consequences as much,” she writes.
Dr. Jennifer Hankenson, MD, Yale Medicine physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist (physiatrist) and assistant professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Yale School of Medicine, explains that strength training, which leads to building more muscle mass, can increase your metabolism up to 48 hours after a workout and over time, will help decrease body fat percentage.
Related: 13 Reasons Why You Aren’t Losing Weight
“A lower body fat percentage means a higher basal metabolic rate,” Dr. Hankenson says, noting that BMR is the amount of energy expended while at rest. Strength training at least two to three times per week also helps in building endurance, therefore making it easier to complete longer or more strenuous workouts.
Though strength training carries great benefits, cardiovascular workouts burn a higher number of calories per minute during workouts, she continues. “This means it is also important to include cardiovascular workouts at least four to five times per week when looking to lose weight. For Drummond, an average cardio session involves rowing on her rowing machine or walking.
However, Dr. Hankenson stresses the importance of maintaining a calorie deficit if you want to lose weight. “At the end of the day, the only way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than your body is burning,” she says. “So, overall, building muscle and becoming more physically fit plays a very helpful role in burning calories but if you are not taking a close look at your diet, you likely will not lose weight.”
Next up: The Whole30 vs. Keto Face-Off: Which Low-Carb Diet Is Better for Losing Weight?
Sources
Dr. Jennifer Hankenson, MD, Yale Medicine physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist (physiatrist) and assistant professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Yale School of Medicine
