‘Chrisley Knows Best’ Mom Julie Chrisley Reveals Dramatic 20-Pound Weight Loss

Julie Chrisley has made a major change to the way she eats, and it’s paying off!

The Chrisley Knows Best star told PEOPLE Wednesday that she’s down 20 lbs. after beginning to use the Nutrisystem program in January.

“I figured out the foods that were the best fit for me, and I started just doing the breakfasts and the snacks and then I added in my lunch,” Chrisley, 45, told the publication. “Then I do have dinner with my family at night. I just modify that and make better choices.”

It’s clear that Chrisley is looking slim and fit in the few photos she posts of herself on social media. She looks glowing in an Oct. 11 photo posted by husband Todd Chrisley on Facebook, and her weight loss is even evident in a photo from the summer!

Having battled breast cancer in 2012, undergoing a double mastectomy, Julie said she worked with a nutritionist to remove soy from her diet and improve her portion control, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t indulge in sweet treats and savory foods like breakfast burritos, she said.

In the past, “overeating was a struggle, no matter what I was eating,” she explained. “Now I don’t have to think about it.”

That was important for the USA Network star, who fans of the show will know is always cooking up something delicious in her kitchen. “I tend to think I’m a little pickier because I do cook a lot and I can cook,” she said.

Increasing her level of activity through pilates and walking has definitely made a difference, Julie explained the improved diet has made the largest difference.

“If we’re being completely honest, everyone can say it’s not about the weight per se, or how you look, but I’m a 45-year-old woman. Dropping some weight makes me feel better about myself because I know that I look better, and I’m being more healthy,” she said. “It’s just good all the way around.”

Regardless of her weight, it’s clear that Julie’s husband can’t get enough of her. In a December 2017 episode of Chrisley Knows Best, Todd went all out with a sexy salsa date to try and appease his wife.

“After 20 years, things can have the tendency to get stale,” he told her prior to the date. “I mean, I’m not saying you’re stale, I’m saying the situation can get stale. We haven’t been on a real date in years, so I think we should take full advantage of this weekend of us being off duty.”

The two might not have found their inner dancer, but at the end they did rededicate themselves to spending more alone time together, despite the hectic nature of their lives.

Photo credit:Paul Archuleta/Getty Images