Bethenny Frankel graces SELF’s May 2020 cover. Inside the magazine, in the accompanying interview, the 41-year-old Bravo reality star dishes on diet, indulging, being honest, and she also shares some “words of wisdom on how we can all get the work, love and shoes we deserve.”
“I’m happiest when it’s just us, like when I’m on the floor with Jason and the baby, making a tent with blankets. Right now, I’m looking for some peace. I’m not really sure what I’m doing anymore with reality TV. I experienced a miscarriage on TV. I didn’t need that,” she told SELF. “Everything I do is to make a better life and future for Bryn,” Frankel says of her 2-year-old.
Bethenny believes that loving your body is essential as self-confidence will always be attractive. “It’s definitely not about being the skinniest woman in the room. That’s not as sexy as looking like Sofía Vergara [at left], Christina Hendricks, Jennifer Hudson or anyone else who is rockin’ her curves. People are attracted to confidence,” she says.
Speaking about dieting, the reality star confesses that, “I used to starve, then binge, and I was 25 pounds heavier. I tried every diet from Beverly Hills to South Beach. Any diet that says to limit eating watermelon but processed protein bars are good means we’ve become stupid. Now I eat what I crave and make sure I’m having a balanced variety.”
When it comes to exercising, Frankel says that the plank pose is really effective. “It’s the best for getting flat abs. I do yoga two or three days a week for myself and for my state of mind. I’m not all caught up in my body anymore. How often am I strutting around naked? I exercise to get the kinks out, to feel healthy and to keep things not jiggly,” she explains.
On realizing that there is no perfect, Bethenny Frankel admits that, “I’m confident because I know there is no ‘right’ way of doing things. So I stay in my own lane and do what I do. The more you see that your ideas work, the stronger you’ll feel.”
Frankel also suggests to send thank-you cards. “It’s about networking. I’ve always been a connector and someone who hustles. I got on The Real Housewives by going to a polo match in the Hamptons, where I met the producers. I’d rather be shot than go to one now, but I cherish the RH experience,” she told SELF magazine.
On fighting smarter, the reality star says that, “People say, ‘Just communicate.’ That’s kind of BS. To have a strong relationship, you have to argue in a healthy way. Sometimes, you’ve got to back down. Don’t escalate things, and don’t bring up unrelated stuff.”
Sharing her advice on how the smallest things can make a difference, Bethenny believes that it’s always about staying true to yourself and don’t fake it. “Power is not how bold you are or how much you say. It’s about being true to yourself. Be the person you believe you are,” she confesses.
Moreover, she says that saying yes to your dreams and don’t accept defeat is also crucial. “People have said no to all my ideas along the way. No to my first book, which turned out to be a best seller. No to my Skinnygirl Cocktails. Never assume that anyone is smarter than you are. Trust your gut, and keep it simple,” she told the magazine.
Read Bethenny Frankel’s full interview in the May 2020 issue of SELF Magazine.
Photos courtesy of SELF