Paula Deen surprised her fans on Sunday (October 18) by sharing a recent photo celebrating the fall season, prompting many comments about her weight loss and youthful appearance.
“It’s still hot here, but fall decorations make it feel cooler and cozier! Are you decorated yet?” the former Food Network star wrote alongside a photo of herself sitting on the stoop outside her home. Deen, wearing a pink sweater and black leggings, posed for the camera while surrounded by plants and pumpkins.
Fans flooded the comments with praise for the 79-year-old chef, with one Instagram user writing, “You look better everytime I see you.”
“Girl you keep looking young!” said another.
“I love this lady and my god she looks so shapely and young here!” another added.
Another wrote, “So skinny now!”
“Did you quit cooking with butter ?! You look amazing,” quipped one fan.
“I actually didn’t recognize her,” another added.
Paula Deen in 2012; Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire
“Beautiful picture. You look fantastic,” said one commenter.
Another wrote, “You look great Paula!”
“You look fabulous!” another said.
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Deen was one of the Food Network’s biggest stars for 14 years, hosting Paula’s Home Cooking, Paula’s Party, and Paula’s Best Dishes. She was let go from the network in 2013 after racial comments she made in the past resurfaced. She launched her own YouTube cooking channel in 2020 and continues to share life updates on social media.
The celebrity cook has been open about her weight loss journey over the years. In a 2015 appearance on The Dr. Oz Show, Deen admitted her weight kept her from joining Dancing With the Stars, despite being asked several times. She did later compete on the 21st season.
“That was before I lost the 42 pounds, and I was just afraid. I was afraid it would kill me,” she confessed. “I didn’t realize it, but I weighed 198 pounds… That would’ve killed me. So, when I got this invitation, and I had gotten a good bit of my weight off, I said, ‘Well, it’s now or never.’ So, we did it.”
When asked how she lost the weight, Deen said there is “no magic cure,” noting, “You have to move more and eat less.” She also said she changed the ingredients she cooks with and began eating in moderation.
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