Carrie Underwood reveals body didn't 'bounce back' after 2nd son Jacob Bryan's birth but she decided to 'be kind' to herself
Carrie Underwood's clothing line CALIA is focused on empowering women. However, following the birth of her second son Jacob Bryan in January, the country singer has had to remind herself of CALIA's "stay the path" mantra after she felt societal pressure to get back in shape.
“After having my first kid [Isaiah, 4], I felt like I bounced back fast. And then with Jake, it was like my body took a minute to get back to me. It was frustrating, because I’m like, ‘Why wasn’t it like the first time?’” Underwood told People.
“But I’m four years older. That also helped me shift my mindset — I’m still working hard, wanting to be the best me possible, but cutting myself slack and just thinking, ‘Be kind to yourself.’ It’s amazing what we [women] do to ourselves. We’re probably all our toughest critics," she added.
According to Underwood, it is important to ban the phrase "cheat days" from public discourse. “I don’t like to call them ‘cheat days’ — you’re just enjoying life,” she said. “I feel like holiday time can be stressful when it comes to health and fitness, but it doesn’t have to be. You can just say, ‘I’m going to enjoy myself on the holidays.’"
“It’s all about friends and family and food and parties, and indulging responsibly,” she added. “And when New Year’s is over, get back on the horse. It’s like, ‘Okay, I’ve had my holiday fun. Now it’s time to get back on my path.’"
That said, this year will see Underwood and her husband Mike Fisher celebrate their family of four on the road. “There’s a lot of travel, but that’s kind of our tradition because we don’t have any family that actually lives near us, so it’s just go, go, go,” Underwood said.