Trisha Yearwood Shows Off Her Brand New Body

Her husband Garth Brooks may have been a performance highlight at Sunday’s 48th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, but Trisha Yearwood, 48, stole a bit of the spotlight when she showed off her fit physique while presenting an award at the show in Las Vegas.

“I’ve been dieting and exercising and I’ve lost about 20 lbs.,” Yearwood told PEOPLE at the Southern Kitchen brunch she hosted at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in February.

The Grammy winner and star of the Food Network’s Trisha’s Southern Kitchen says she sticks to a healthy eating plan – with the occasional splurge.

“I’m doing very little sugar,” Yearwood said. “And occasionally I have the mac and cheese.”

Overall, the best-selling cookbook author says she has a realistic approach to slimming down.

“Real people battle their weight,” she told PEOPLE. “We all struggle between eating healthy and falling off the wagon. That’s how I live.”