Carrie Underwood took longer to "bounce back" after her second child.
Carrie Underwood
The 36-year-old singer welcomed her second son, Jacob Bryan, in the world in January, and has said that compared to giving birth to her first son Isaiah, now four, getting back on her feet following the birth took longer than expected.
Carrie - who has both her children with her husband Mike Fisher - said: "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?' "
But the 'Before He Cheats' hitmaker understands that she's older than she was when she had her first child, and has learned how to "cut [herself] some slack".
She added: "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."
Carrie also talked about her diet tips, where she insisted she doesn't restrict herself to "cheat days" because she wants to enjoy her life whilst indulging in sweet treats in moderation.
She explained to People magazine: "I don't like to call them 'cheat days' - you're just enjoying life.
"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. 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.' "
Tagged in Carrie Underwood