Reba McEntire: ‘Think about what you eat to lose weight’

County music superstar Reba McEntire was at her fittest when she adopted a Fit For Life diet in the early 1990s.
The 61-year-old singer tells People magazine she was desperate to find a slim-down solution that would work for her, and discovered the idea of splitting up meals was a big hit.
“I was on Fit for Life (and) that’s the slimmest I ever was,” she says.
“You don’t mix your carbs (carbohydrates) and protein. Stay off sugar. Anything white, just stay off. But not mixing carbs and proteins seemed to work really well. Instead of having potatoes and steak, just have steak and vegetables. If you’re going to have carbs, then have your carbs with vegetables.”
Reba doesn’t follow the strict diet plan anymore, but she admits it did make her more thoughtful about meal times and what she eats.
“Portion control works best for me now,” she tells the publication.
“I do like to go on vacations and that’s when I really splurge. I love Mexican food – chips, salsa and guacamole, and chicken enchiladas and a really neat dessert. That’s my cheat day.”
Reba’s fit outlook on life might seem at odds with her plans to release her new home decor collection, Rockin’ R by Reba, and her upcoming holiday album, My Kind of Christmas, at Cracker Barrel family restaurants across America, but she insists the partnership is a good one.
“It’s probably not a place you go when you’re on a diet, but I always find something to eat there no matter what my weight level,” she explains. “If I’m doing really good, I can have the chicken and dumplings, and if not, I’ll have the veggie plate.”