Carrie Underwood Reveals 800-Calorie Starvation Diet On ‘American Idol’

Carrie Underwood has revealed that she was flat-out starving herself during her time on “American Idol.” The country superstar’s days on the popular television series take her back to 2005, although the blonde was happy to brave talking about her troubled times in a new interview with Women’s Health.

Carrie opened up about her body image, stating that reading “Carrie’s getting fat” on an online message board had destroyed her self-confidence.

“I shouldn’t care what other people think about me,” Carrie said, also speaking of the “quesadillas and pastas” she was eating at the time.

“I was tired, and I kept buying bigger clothes. I knew I could be better for myself, and I let my haters be my motivators,” she added.

Carrie’s focus on losing weight then continued after she won the series as she and other contestants went on tour. At first, Carrie admitted that she was on a high from the restrictive eating and intense exercise – Carrie revealed that her intake dropped to a mere 800 calories per day. The average woman requires 2,000 calories per day, with 800 generally being considered a starvation diet by health experts. The “Cry Pretty” singer was, at the time, logging time on the elliptical and counting calories as she read food labels.

“I was sleeping better, and I had more energy for our grueling schedule.”

The starvation took its toll, though. By the time Carrie attended her first CMA Awards in November 2005, she was finding it near-impossible to function.

“I would fall off the wagon,” Carrie stated, adding she’d “feel terrible and repeat the cycle.”

“Your body is screaming out, I need more calories, I need more carbs!” 

Carrie said that she didn’t really feel her behavior was disordered eating, although her interview did see her fully able to see the reality of what was going on.

The interview came just a few days before the March 3 release of Carrie’s new diet, exercise, and wellness book – “Find Your Path” also comes with the newly-launched Fit52 app. While the mom of two is first and foremost a music icon, she is fast-rising as a fitness one. Carrie’s jaw-dropping post-baby body is a giant talking point for her fans, with a recent Instagram promo for Carrie’s Calia by Carrie athleisurewear line showing her spinning, kick-boxing, and jumping impressively as she trained. For Carrie, working out is therapy.

“My self-care is my gym time, and that’s a stress reliver for me,” she told Women’s Health.

Carrie’s fitness regimen was once again mentioned as she spoke to In Style.

“I exercise when I can. Sometimes I’ll do it seven days in a row; other times it’s only twice a week. I take the opportunity when I have it, knowing that some weeks I won’t be able to exercise as much, because I am not the 5 a.m. workout type. I need my coffee and breakfast first, and then I get my children on their way, so I’m a midmorning-workout person. But I weave fitness into my day.”

Carrie also outlined her diet – and it’s super-healthy. The star kicks off the day with tofu or egg-white scrambles, Ezekiel toast, berries, and coffee. Her mostly plant-based diet also includes Tofurky sandwiches and vegan chicken stir fries, with snacks typically including smoothies or protein bars.