Carly Pearce Admits She Struggled With Self-Esteem in Vulnerable Instagram Post

Carly Pearce is opening up about her former struggles with self-esteem, revealing how far she has come in the last couple years, and crediting the two people who helped her change her ways.

“One [of] y’all sent me this over the weekend, and when I saw it, it put something on my heart I wanted to share,” Pearce shared in a vulnerable Instagram post. “Photo on the right is from about a year and a half ago. I was going about 100 miles a minute, was tired all the time, was afraid of carbs & thought the only form of exercise was seeing how many miles I could run in a week. The photo on the left was this weekend. I’m STILL running 100 miles a minute, but I don’t struggle with fatigue anymore & have learned that weight training AND cardio make me STRONG & carbs DON’T make you fat— and you know what? I weigh more now, those clothes on the right don’t fit anymore, but I FEEL better and am HAPPIER than ever.”

The Kentucky native went on to explain why she felt the need to share this with her fans, adding that her transformation is due to the support of her future husband, Michael Ray, and celebrity trainer, Erin Oprea.

“I’m posting this because I know so many of us struggle with our bodies and goodness, being on stage is a whole different level for me sometimes,” Pearce added. “Thank you @erinoprea fam for making me understand that STRONG is sexy, and thank you @michaelraymusic for always making me feel so beautiful. #realreel #strongisnotasize.”

Pearce’s celebrity status makes her a role model for women of all ages – and a target for internet trolls as well. The Kentucky native was irrationally criticized for her shape on social media earlier this year, and she quickly shot back.

“Honestly I’m still in disbelief but I wanted to share this with you because I feel like this is important (especially for women) to see that WORDS ARE POWERFUL [and] no matter what, think before you speak and BE KIND,” Pearce wrote at the time. “Body Shaming [and] Bullying ARE NEVER OKAY.”

Pearce said it was hard for her to share that, but felt it was important to take a stand.

“It was difficult for me to post. Nobody wants to show the bad pictures when you can post the wonderful photos from the [tour] photographers,” Pearce told Runner’s World. “I always want to remain true to who I am, and show that I go through this too.”

Pearce continues her rigorous workout, at home or on the road, with Oprea, whose other clients include Carrie Underwood, Maren Morris, Kelsea Ballerini and more.

“They’re intense,” Pearce told PopCulture.com. “I do FaceTime or Skype workouts, and sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. It’s really hard to align schedules, but I definitely do as much as I can.”

Photo Credit: Getty images/ Slaven Vlasic