When I first heard the news that Carrie Underwood lost 20 pounds, I did not know what to think. She was already thin; losing 20 more pounds would put her weight below 100 pounds.

As it turns out, Carrie actually gained weight during her time on American Idol and now she is back to her pre-Idol weight.

She says almost every contestant on American Idol gains some weight. The reason? Bad food, stress, and most days are spent sitting around waiting for the vocal coaches.

Carrie Underwood’s diet Carrie figured that for her to lose weight, just a low-calorie diet is not going to do the trick. Her secret weapon? A food diary. “I have discovered that writing down everything I eat makes such a difference, because you never realize how much you’re consuming unless you read it later in the day,â€? she says.

One entry in Carrie’s food diary reads: “I had two whole-grain waffles for breakfast. Then I had a sandwich for lunch, which I put down as bread, fake meat [she is a vegetarian], and cheese.�

Carrie says it is very important to check food labels and write down how many calories you consume from each meal. If you do that throughout the day, you can quickly figure out how many calories you have left for the evening.

Carrie is a big fan of The Calorie King Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter book, which she uses all the time when she cannot check the food labels. “It has chain restaurants’ menus and lists the calories, carbs, and fat for every dish, so I am always prepared,� she says. [via]