Carrie Underwood flaunted her hot bikini body and post-baby weight loss, and said being called “fat” while competing on “American Idol” in 2005 hurt her feelings.
Despite the fat-shaming, Carrie said she’s fitter now at 33 than she was in her 20s, thanks to diet and exercise.
“I feel much better now at 33 than I did when I was 20 because I take better care of myself,” Underwood told Us. “Back when I was on American Idol, I was a bit heavier than I am now. Apparently I was fat. Of course I wasn’t, but sometimes words people choose are not the nicest.”
Carrie recently lost 30 pounds less than 3 months after giving birth to son Isaiah. Underwood’s weight loss secrets were a vegan diet and Tabata high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, as Celebrity Health Fitness has reported.
“My favorite workout is Tabata, which I can do at home in about a half hour,” she said. “I’m in love with it! It’s hard, but it really works. It really revs up my metabolism!”
Carrie, who’s famous for her toned legs, also does lots of squats. “I like squats, lunges,” said Underwood. “If I go for a jog and I meet up with a good hill, I will lunge up the hill and that will burn them out.”
When she’s not at the gym, Carrie works out her legs with a DeskCycle, a portable, lightweight bike pedal exercise that fits under your desk or chair.
Carrie joins a long list of celebrity vegans, who credit the 100% plant-based diet for its weight loss and anti-aging health benefits, TheImproper reported. Other celebrity vegans include Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez.
Beyonce’s longtime trainer, Marco Borges, said The 22-Day Revolution vegan diet helped Beyonce lose 65 pounds six months after she gave birth to daughter Blue Ivy in 2012.
Experiencing natural weight loss and improved health on a vegan diet isn’t surprising to medical experts like Dr. Joel Fuhrman.
“The more greens you eat, the more weight you will lose,” said Dr. Fuhrman, author of The End of Dieting.
Carrie Underwood’s beauty secrets are equally simple and no-nonsense. “Coconut oil as a moisturizer [is my favorite beauty trick],” she said. “It feels and smells so good.”
Underwood’s beauty tips for radiant skin and shiny hair include the following:
1. T3 Featherweight Luxe 2i Dryer. “It makes my hair smooth and shiny.”
2. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray. Carrie says this spray adds sexy texture to her hair.
3. José Eber Trio 3 in 1 Clipless Curling Iron.
4. Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Lotion.
5. Almay Intense I-Color Eyeliner In Black Pearl. “It stays in place all day!”
Related: Gwen Stefani’s vegan diet weight loss and beauty tips