Most of us constantly wonder how celebrities keep their bodies and look fabulous despite major life changes. Carrie Underwood’s weight loss is one such case that we all wonder about. Most of these celebs seem to navigate the weight loss journey pretty seamlessly and that makes us even more curious. Carrie Underwood has been talked about in almost every household since she recently lost a significant amount of weight after her pregnancy – all in a very short time.
It seems that lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise and an active lifestyle, appear to be key factors in her transition. As a woman in her thirties, it was quite a challenging task for her to lose the weight after pregnancy. And if you’re also struggling to lose weight, that’s totally understandable. However, Carrie seems to have handled this issue very well. Taking some cues from these lifestyle changes can also help one of you create this desired change.
Who is Carrie Underwood?
Carrie Underwood is a famous American actress, songwriter and singer. She was the winner of the 4th season of American Idol in 2005. Since then, she has delivered numerous music hits such as “Blown away”, “Before he cheats‘ and ‘Jso, get the wheel”. She has won a plethora of awards throughout her career. She has won several Grammy awards and Country Music Association awards. You may have also seen her on screen as an actress in movies and TV shows like “Sound of music live!” And “Blue blood”. Aside from the glamorous world of singing and acting, she is a well-known philanthropist who has contributed to various charities such as animal welfare, disaster relief, and education.
She is a mother of two beautiful children and revealed that she had gained a lot of weight after her 2nd pregnancy in 2019. She worked extremely hard to lose those extra pounds post pregnancy.
Carrie Underwood’s Weight Loss Journey
Carries Underwood’s weight loss journey began after her 2005 winning streak on American Idol. Putting on those extra pounds not only drew harsh comments from people, but also led to Carrie feeling a lack of energy and buying clothes a size bigger every time. When she went on tour with her fellow American Idol contestants, she began researching her weight and diet for a healthier life. She started to be mindful of her calorie intake and exercise routine. A lot of effort was put into controlling her caloric intake, which was often as low as 800 calories a day. She also adds 30-second stretches three times a day before her meals.
This change in her diet and exercise routine improved her sleep and gave her a much-needed boost in energy. She is a mother of two and as you can see her lifestyle now makes her look beautiful and radiant. While she was a mother and had a successful career as a singer and actress, she took on the challenge of losing weight. She followed a healthy, nutritious diet while working out to get the amazing body she has now.
Carrie Underwood’s Weight Loss Diet Plan
Carrie Underwood recently lost 50 kilos by following a strict diet that consisted of small portions and a lot of exercise. Food is an essential part of life and it provides us with the nutrition we need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It seems like a natural step to then control your diet if you want to lose weight. Carrie Underwood’s diet is said to consist of fruits, vegetables, healthy proteins, and lean meats that are low in carbohydrates. She eats three meals a day, including eggs, chicken, green tea, vegetables, and other lean meats. She also limited her intake of processed foods and sugar to maintain a healthy diet.
Breakfast
The diet plan gives importance to breakfast as it is the most important meal of the day. Don’t skip breakfast, it’s the fuel you need to keep your brain functioning (1). Carrie says breakfast for her would be either a vanilla smoothie with pea protein powder, almond milk and ice cream, a bowl of berries and half a banana, or a tofu scramble with readily available veggies like spinach, peppers, onions and some salsa over it. If there’s a plan to exercise in the morning, she’ll have an orange or a grapefruit. Add a cup of black coffee to give her that much-needed caffeine boost.
What is very special here is that there are no fancy ingredients and there is no fuss. If you are a mother of two and have a plethora of chores around the house with your toddlers, a quick breakfast is all you need.
Lunch
Carrie calls herself 95% vegan. She’s not picky about her food and wouldn’t make a fuss in a restaurant, but has preferred the vegan life for some time now. Since becoming a vegan, Carrie eats fake chicken. She likes to add vegetables to her fake chicken and stir fry them.
snacks
We all love snacking and it’s almost an irrepressible urge for some of us. This is one meal that most of us will end up eating unhealthy. Courier Underwood’s diet allowed her room to snack. She’s snacking on protein bars! Now you may want to buy these protein bars with caution. Be sure to read the label and ingredients, as some protein bars can contain a large amount of sugar and calories. Some of them also have other additives that you’d rather avoid.
The good news is that you can also make protein bars at home. Protein bars with a combination of muesli, linseed, dates, sesame seeds and organic cane sugar as a sweetener are easy to make at home. And if you’re in the mood for something savory, popcorn or kale chips might be your options.
Dinner
Perhaps Carrie Underwood’s most interesting meal is her dinner. When you’re on a diet, you expect salads, soups, or even just a smoothie. But Carrie eats vegan burgers at dinner. The burger is completely vegetarian and sometimes contains some tofu.
You can prepare a homemade burger with healthy ingredients and enjoy it. You may want to avoid a burger, especially if it contains a lot of barbecue sauce. A healthier option might be 3 oz of grilled fish with some suitable vegetables. A cup of clear chicken soup or mushroom soup will also do.
Carrie has been very conscious of what she ate before her shows. She would make sure to stay away from starches before her shows. She hasn’t been a fan of the low-carb policy, so she has plenty of fruits and veggies, but puts down the bread.
Carrie Underwood’s workout routine
Carrie Underwood’s workout routine has been very consistent, she said in her interviews. She also shared how she wasn’t too sporty in her youth and if she had continued on that path, it wouldn’t have ended well.
Her workout included 30 minutes of aerobics four times a week. She did strength training three times a week (2), (3).
This regimen is said to help her lose fat and build muscle at the same time. She would also run on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Her workout routine also included dynamic sets of squats and pushups. All this would help her have good posture, flexibility, and a good core workout.
Carrie has also been great about giving her “couple goals” as she also enjoys working out with her husband.
Like her diet, she had a special routine for the show. Excessive time in the gym or heavy workouts with more sets or reps doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better workout. This can even tire you out and give you muscle pain (4).
Carrie Underwood makes sure she does more cardio and less strength training than usual. She says that while strength training is important, she doesn’t want to look muscular on a red carpet. It is better to focus on stretching and a healthy meal before coming to an event. Obviously, all new mommies need to take care of your lifestyle if you want to shed those pregnancy pounds.
Conclusion
The weight loss journey for any new mom is definitely a tough task. Carrie Underwood’s weight loss journey is certainly inspiring and gives you pointers to work on your own body. Eating healthy, exercising well and spending time with yourself and your family are important ingredients for a healthy and balanced life after pregnancy. It is quite obvious that lifestyle changes will contribute to your desired goals much more than you may have expected. Remember, it’s not just about looking good, it’s also about feeling good. Take no stress and enjoy your weight loss journey without worrying much about the results.
sources:
1.Breakfast in Human Nutrition: The International Breakfast Research Initiative
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5986439/
2. Only aerobic exercise results in clinically significant weight loss for men and women: Midwest Exercise Trial-2
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3630467/
3. Effect of exercise on weight loss, changes in body composition and weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults: a review of 12 systematic reviews and 149 studies
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33955140/
4. Pathophysiology of exercise-induced muscle damage and its structural, functional, metabolic and clinical consequences
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8549894/