Carrie Underwood was criticized for looking fat, which made her change her life, but she still worried about her looks. The singer only ate 800 calories a day to become slimmer, and after becoming healthy, she opened up about her life on her "forever home" farm where she was a chef, shopper, planter, cleaner, happy mother, and wife!

Carrie Underwood is a lucky woman with a beautiful family consisting of her husband, Mike Fisher, and their two children, Isaiah and Jacob. The country singer's family lived on a farm in 2023 and had a simple but happy life.

Underwood was loved by her husband and children for how she was; however, there was a period in her life that made her rethink her looks and changed her life. Before appearing on "American Idols" in 2005, Underwood had never paid attention to fitness or nutrition.

Carrie Underwood on season 4 of "American Idol" Top 12 Finalists Portraits on March 12, 2005 | Source: Getty Images

Then while featuring on the show, she came across a nasty online message board. The singer confessed that she shouldn't have cared what other people thought about her, but she knew the heavy meals she ate weren't making her feel her best.

Underwood was tired and had to keep buying bigger-sized clothes. One of the message board notes she read was someone saying, "Carrie's getting fat," and she knew she could do better and used those that criticized her as her motivation.

In 2007, she recalled reading the "bizarre" message boards. The star said she realized mean people were probably sitting at home with no friends or work and were jealous of her doing what she loved and feeling good about it.

Carrie Underwood during "American Idol" Top 12 Finalists Party on March 9, 2005, in West Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images

Being exposed to the public was what the musician needed to make changes in her life. Underwood started focusing more on what she put in her body and also began exercising.

Why Did Carrie Eat 800 Calories a Day?

After winning "American Idol," Underwood went on tour with other contestants and started counting calories, reading labels, and using the elliptical machine. She felt good initially, slept better, and had more energy for her busy schedule.

Carrie Underwood on season 4 of "American Idol" on April 5, 2005 | Source: Getty Images

Seeing the good results, she chose to take things further by eating less and working out more. On some days, the country singer only ate as little as 800 calories, and in November 2005, she attended her first CMA Awards.

By then, her plan had begun backfiring, and while she'd lost weight, she struggled to keep up with her strict diet. Whenever she restricted herself, the follow-up was overindulgence, with her stating:

“I would ‘fall off the wagon,’ then feel terrible and repeat the cycle.”

Anthony Fedorov, Carrie Underwood, and Bo Bice on season 4 of "American Idol" Results Show on May 11, 2005 | Source: Getty Images

Underwood's energy also started to drop, with her saying, "Your body is screaming out, I need more calories, I need more carbs!" The star felt she lacked the know-how to create healthy parameters that worked.

In her first book, "Find Your Path," she created the manual she would've loved to have back in those days. Eve Overland, her trainer, and Cara Clark, a nutritionist, created a framework to help other women make smart choices yearly.

In 2020, Underwood's health journey was more structured; it allowed her to indulge in a slice of cake on occasion. The singer said she loved rules and how she felt good about herself and operated.

She used the MyFitnessPal application to track her macros and calories, with her happy place being 30% fat, 45% carbs, and 25% protein. The "Cry Pretty" songstress didn't leave much to chance regarding her diet.

As a mother of two, she exercised seven days a week when she could because the following week might only afford her two days of working out. At age 36, she called herself a "wannabe vegan" and a vegetarian.

Having grown up on a Checotah, Oklahoma, cattle farm, Underwood recalled that she was 13 when she decided to stop eating beef. She saw the calves she'd grown up around getting neutered.

The star initially chose a plant-based diet alongside animal welfare instead of her health. The artist once noted, "Some people think I'm fat, some people don't. Who are they to judge?"

However, she explained that it bothered her, and seeing a photo where she looked chubby affected how she felt about herself. In 2017, she worked out with her husband when he was around.

One would run on the treadmill or do planks, while the other would do 50 push-ups. Sometimes one would do squats while the other ran a mile, and they both hated their lives at that moment and tried to finish quickly, so the other didn't feel tortured.

The couple was great at exercising in the same place but also good at it separately. She shared how they didn't talk much, got in the zone, and got things done; however, in 2023, she had other reasons for exercising.

Underwood used her fit52 application to stay healthy, not for weight loss. When in hotels, she worked out with whatever she had and exercised when she had a chance.

Mike's wife believed health was essential and hoped to encourage people to live their best lives by ensuring they had enough time to do so. The mother of two always had people who loved and supported her just as she was - the family she lived a simple life with on a farm.

How Does Carrie Live With Her Family on a Farm?

In July 2022, Underwood shared an Instagram video showing her 400-acre farm in Tennessee. The clip featured her song, "Garden," which included a caption about gardens being one of her happy places.

Mike's wife said she loved getting her hands dirty as she thought and reflected while gardening. The Grammy Award winner also got to be calm in her Franklin garden on the land she and her husband spent $3 million to acquire in 2011.

Her [Carrie Underwood] family had dinner together and while Mike's [Fisher] wife did her groceries...

The couple built their dream home on the estate, which included its lake and horse stables. In 2016, Underwood said that she and Mike were designing their "forever home," and some of the things they'd include were a fireplace, rocking chairs, and a porch swing, with her once sharing what she did at home:

"When I'm at home, I feel like I'm mom-ing it. I'm doing the laundry, packing the lunches, I'm always cleaning."

The country singer bought her groceries and wasn't a fan of eating out at restaurants or getting takeout. However, Mike preferred going out to eat instead of eating at home, which made his wife mad.

Underwood loved cooking at home because her family could bond over their days' experiences. The former athlete prepared his meat because his wife didn't know how to, and the pair also got to have quality time when she cooked.

The musician loved cooking at home because she liked knowing what was in her food. Her family had dinner together, and while Mike's wife did her groceries, people were surprised to see her at stores, but she also had to eat.

After shopping, she worked out at home in her home gym. For Christmas, the star cooked all day and made a small turkey for her family even though she didn't eat meat.

Underwood and her family's lives were joyous, and she once described her husband as a rare combination of wonderful and hot. He was amazing as a father and a "great dad" who was "so supportive" of what his wife did, and they loved their family.

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