Carrie Underwood to keto dieters: ‘carbs are important’

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Last week I covered some of Carrie Underwood’s comments to People Magazine about her diet philosophy over the holidays. She said that it’s not cheating when you eat a little more and enjoy yourself and that there are no good or bad foods, essentially. She tries not to be hard on herself and to just get back on track afterwards. People has some more quotes from her, particularly about carbs, and I wanted to talk about it.

“It’s been more about health, and being strong, and setting a good example for my kids, and working out because it makes me feel good… And just kind of shifting my mindset about why I’m into health and fitness.”

“I don’t eat meat because it’s kind of a conscious decision that I make, but anytime anybody’s like, “I don’t eat carbs,” I’m like, “Oh, but carbs are important!”

“I eat my carbs. Most of the time I eat more quinoa, rice, veggie carbs, but I eat my cake too,” Underwood added. Though she hasn’t eaten beef since she was a teenager and became a full-on vegetarian at age 21, the singer says she made the decision to cut meat out of her diet because her body functions well without it.

And as for her toned figure, Underwood works hard but doesn’t deny that genetics play a factor (especially when it comes to her famous leg muscles!) “I think just in life and my body makeup, I’m just kind of a quad-dominant person,” she says.

[From People]

Carrie does have incredible legs, but she’s definitely working on that every day. Still, I know what she means about genetics because I feel like I get more muscular than other people doing the same things. Her reasoning for being a vegetarian is sound and a lot of people say the same thing. As for carbs, I wish more people would try to eat normally and just control portions and calories. Low carb diets do work for some people, but when celebrities go on keto diets they’re giving a lot of people the impression that they have to deprive themselves of their favorite foods to lose weight. If you’d like to lose weight this year, try the free app MyFitnesspal, or try Noom if you want something you pay for and that keeps you accountable. MyFitnesspal is so easy to use and will help you lose weight.

Look at her dogs!

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Merry Christmas from Ace, Zero and Penny! 🎄

A post shared by Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) on

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30 Responses to “Carrie Underwood to keto dieters: ‘carbs are important’”

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  1. Kebbie says:

    Why can’t people just eat what they want and not worry about what other people are eating?

  2. Jenn says:

    I tried keto, because I felt like I needed a jump start to get myself back on track. Didn’t last long, I was exhausted all the time. I lost weight, and lost the cravings for the carbs, so that was good, but it was not going to be a long term sustainable thing for me

    • Michael says:

      I went no carbs or processed food for months and dropped a ton of weight. Now I just eat a very low carb diet that I restrict to veggies and fruit sometimes. I can no longer eat sugary stuff like cookie or chocolate unless I just have an extremely small portion because I cannot handle the sweetness. Which is so strange because I used to murder cookies and chocolate. I have not felt deprived at all frankly

      • MoreSalt says:

        Same. And I feel like garbage, physically and mentally, from ‘treating myself’ so heavily over the holidays. Stuff that is completely in line with how I used to eat, like pancakes for breakfast, made me so sick later in the day. Lesson learned. Back in the saddle as of yesterday.

  3. ChillyWilly says:

    Cute doggies!! I agree that carbs are good in moderation. Carrie looks very fit and, most importantly, healthy so she’s doing something right.
    OT: Why do celebrity Christmas trees always look as if they were stolen from a Macy’s display? So bland.

  4. Elaine Stritch says:

    A woman I know lost over 130 pounds on Keto in just over a year and gained over 100 back in less than a year after “falling off the wagon” so to speak. However, it doesn’t seem like she abandoned it all together- she just wasn’t as diligent. She’s back at it now, and good for her, but I can’t imagine that something with a rebound like that is remotely sustainable. The other day she posted something about feeling guilty for eating 10 grapes- it just seems like an awfully restrictive way to live! It must be so frustrating, not to mention exhausting and hard on your body.

  5. Frizzy says:

    Idk I think diet discussion are the 1/4 of comments here that are non royal related. 😅 People LOVE to talk about what they eat. Also: diet shaming especially when it comes to 1) keto 2) vegans 3) soda. I love these conversations because it’s peeking into people’s shopping carts like the nosy b I am.

  6. girl_ninja says:

    She looks so cute in that photo by the Christmas tree.

  7. Jas says:

    I have this thing against telling anyone what to eat, but I have to agree, it’s just not sustainable. You shouldn’t drastically reduce or eliminate an entire macro unless you have a medical condition and are advised to. Keto, for instance, was discovered as a diet that could help some epileptic children having many seizures.

  8. Lily says:

    I have an important wedding to go to in may and I’m trying to get in shape for it but it’s so effing hard. I just want to eat and eat and be lazy.

    I lost the weight once but it seems so much harder this time around

  9. DD says:

    I haven’t tried Keto. My goal this year is to get out of credit card debt, but not eat junk food.

  10. Becks1 says:

    I use myfitnesspal and when I am diligent about tracking and such, it really does work. The problem is when I just don’t log that piece of cake, lol.

    I like carbs. I know I should probably reduce my carb intake, but I know that I could never go as low-carb as some of these diets. It may help me lose weight, but I would be miserable and it would not be sustainable for me.

    • lucy2 says:

      That app works for me too, in fact I just restarted it again today! It definitely makes me more aware of what I’m eating.
      I haven’t been too good in recent months, but I need to watch carbs for my blood sugar levels. I can’t do no carb, just can’t, so I’ve been seeking out low carb, high fiber product alternatives.

  11. Annabel says:

    Sure, Carrie, carbs are important, but I’m pre-diabetic and the nutritionist in my endocrinologist’s office told me to avoid carbs, so I’ll keep going with the keto diet and keep getting all of my extremely limited carb intake from vegetables, thanks.

  12. MoreSalt says:

    Obligatory keto anecdote –

    “Everything in moderation” is not helpful advice to people who are caught in a vicious cycle of insulin spikes and constant hunger. You eat more, and you keep getting fatter, and your body constantly craves more insulin. Keto breaks a cycle. Eating one cookie is eating in moderation – but that will set off sugar cravings in an hour. I can be miserable and power through, I can eat another cookie and keep the cycle going, or I could just not eat that cookie in the first place. Replace cookie with sandwich bread, or pasta, or a bagel. Same thing applies.

    It’s the feeling of being completely out of control of your appetite. . and feeling like a failure. Why don’t I have more willpower? How are other people full after a salad? What’s wrong with me? That’s why it becomes the ‘keto cult’ – because people FINALLY found something that kills their insatiable appetite. It seems like magic. So THIS is what it’s supposed to be like.

    Eat the way that makes you feel your best. Just saying that ‘Everything in moderation’ isn’t blanket advice.

    • Kebbie says:

      And if “eat everything in moderation” was as easy as it sounds for everyone, we wouldn’t have an obesity epidemic. It just seems kind of smug to me when thin people say that to shame someone for trying keto or low carb diets. Just because they’re capable of eating one cookie, doesn’t mean everybody is. Let them do what works for them and stop telling them what they’re doing is wrong.

      • MoreSalt says:

        100% this, and I think that’s why I’m touchy about it today. Everyone at Christmas exclaimed how great we looked (around 80 lbs lost between my husband and I) and demanded to know what we were doing, and I said “pretty low carbs, mostly meat and salads for meals, lots of eggs” and an extremely fit 22 year old cousin rolls her eyes and says “oh god, keto is like SO bad for you.” I responded politely but I was so furious at my lifestyle change being so casually dismissed by someone with zero perspective on a 30+ year struggle with being obese. I’m overweight, according to the BMI chart. 6 pounds away from normal. First time I’ve been under obese/morbidly obese since puberty. Suck it, Suzy.

  13. jaylee says:

    I did Keto very strict for 2 months before a wedding & dropped 15 lbs in a blink. It’s hard to maintain but I learned alot about how & what my body needs to function at a high level. I’m an Endomorph & I hate cardio. Truly, I’d rather just be fat. Fortunately I love yoga so I started branching out & trying more power & ashtanga classes. I now eat a 20C 40P 40F macro count & keep my calories in check. My weight is steady, still down the 15, I eat carbs, & believe sugar is the devil. Learn what works for your body individually. Keto can be a very valuable tool.

  14. paranormalgirl says:

    Keto is good for a short term jump start or if it’s medically helpful. But your body has a balance and once you find that balance and eat for that balance, the weight comes off more slowly and without the potential issues. My body does well on low-moderate carbs (heavier on the veggie cards), moderate animal protein (vegetable protein isn’t something I have to moderate), and little to no processed sugar. But when I get sluggish and am not feeling my best, I do 2 weeks of dirty keto and that seems to get me back on track.

  15. Kristina says:

    Thanks for the App help! I’ve been trying to lose the same 5-8lb for a year and I’m
    So sick of it. I’m downloading it now! 🙂

  16. 10KTurtle says:

    I’ve been doing keto for two months now. I didn’t want to, but my doctor keeps telling me it will alleviate some autoimmune symptoms, and so far I… don’t hate it? The food is all delicious! I thought I would really miss peanut butter and Reese cups, but… somehow I don’t? I’m full all the time. The reason I will eventually quit it though is that keto is so much work! You have to cook every single meal and go to the grocery store every other day, and there’s no quick fix if I get called into work and need to grab something on my way out the door. I didn’t do it for weight loss, and I didn’t lose any actual weight (pounds/ounces) but I definitely notice my belly & thighs are smaller. “Wheat belly” is a real thing, y’all. No noticeable decrease in my arthritis pain though- boo.

    • Becks1 says:

      I don’t know if you like Chipotle, but they have these “lifestyle bowls” – you can just order on the app – Whole 30, keto, vegan, etc. So the bowl is already pre-designed for the special diets. Something to keep in mind if you are in a hurry and have one around you!

      • 10KTurtle says:

        Thanks, I’ll have to check that out! One of the recipes I made was a Barbacoa roast that was supposed to be “similar” to something on the menu at Chipotle. I could tell just by the smell of it while it was in the crockpot that it was going to be too hot for me, and it was, but it was also delicious and it cleared out my sinuses.😂

  17. Joanna says:

    I think Carrie is so pretty and has a great body. I would love to look like her. She is just all around beautiful imo.

  18. Mew says:

    There is no such thing as an essential carb. There are essential amino acids (proteins) and fats thought. Good for her embracing and eating carbs. Just don’t push your diet style on people who don’t ask for your advice.