It’s no secret that Carrie Underwood’s fit physique (oh those legs!) requires major gym work, but fans are curious if there’s a specific diet that goes with the workout.
Well, it turns out the 39-year-old country music star is as much a perfectionist with what she eats as she is with how she exercises. Both aspects are so important to her that she wrote a book about them called Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul, and Get Strong with the Fit52 Life.
Underwood’s book details her journey from going on crash diets to refining a healthy eating plan that works for her. She describes herself as a vegetarian (since she was 13) and “wannabe vegan” but admits she wasn’t always conscious about health and fitness – until she found out she was being criticized for her weight while she was competing on American Idol.
That started her journey. She told Women’s Health, “I knew I could be better for myself, and I let my haters be my motivators.”
Hint: It's Not An Overall!
The Before He Cheats singer started a workout routine and paid more attention to what she ate, and soon she got good results. “I was sleeping better, and I had more energy for our grueling schedule,” she said.
But then she began taking her diet to the extreme, with her calorie count dipping to as low as 800 on some days, which is unhealthy. She might have lost weight but her regimen was proving to be unsustainable. “I would ‘fall off the wagon,’ then feel terrible and repeat the cycle,” she said.
Underwood continued, “Your body is screaming out, I need more calories, I need more carbs!” And eventually, with the help of her nutritionist, Cara Clark, and trainer, Eve Overland, she was able to find a diet and fitness routine that works for her.
Speaking about her current regimen, which consists of 45 percent carbs, 30 percent fat, and 25 percent protein, she said, “I love rules. This is how I feel good about myself, and this is how I operate.”
She may love rules but she’s never going to deprive herself again just to look a certain way. “I’ve seen crazy diet suggestions, and I’ve tried some that are entirely unsustainable,” she told Parade. “No, I’m not going to puree my own peas or make my own hummus. They have it at the store. You know what I do? I eat microwave burritos multiple times a week because they’re easy. It’s about finding those solutions and doing your best.”
