‘It’s Never Too Late’: Bethenny Frankel’s ‘Supermodel Diet’ + Health Secrets at 54 Inspire Millions
The Skinnygirl founder gets real about confidence, aging and her 'Supermodel Diet'
Bethenny Frankel—entrepreneur, author, influencer and mother—made her appearance at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s Swim Week 2025 runway show in Miami on May 31. On the catwalk, she strutted her stuff in a leopard print one-piece and a cheeky pink bikini. Her walk and energy stole the show, starting a broader dialogue on health, balance and self-love. Here’s everything we know about Bethenny Frankel’s health journey that got her to this point, including her weight loss and focus on body positivity.
Bethenny Frankel’s runway debut at 54: ‘It was what was on the inside’
Frankel became a household name in 2008 after starring in The Real Housewives of New York City. From bestselling books to starting her own brand Skinnygirl, the reality star has dipped her toes–and succeeded–in countless careers. Now, at 54 years old, she’s changing the game again in uncharted territory: modeling.
Fans applauded Frankel’s strut, but she said her triumph on the runway came from within. “I truly believe it wasn’t really only what was on the outside. I believe it was what was on the inside,” Frankel said in a TikTok video talking about her runway debut. “It was that I was happy. I was feeling myself. I just did what I would do in my own bathroom. I was just dancing. I love to be free. I love to be alive.”
Woman's World Answers
Frankel also emphasized the love she received from women her age after seeing her in the Sports Illustrated show, as she was one of the oldest women to participate in the show this year.
Bethenny Frankel’s health journey
Admirers took to social media to compliment her appearance, and Frankel responded by saying that they, too, could achieve their health goals like she had. “It is never too late to get in shape, to live your life, to be happy, to leave the wrong situation, to leave the wrong job, to start something new, to start a career,” Frankel told her followers. “I’ve always been a late bloomer so maybe I’m blooming right now, and many of you can, too.”
Frankel’s encouraging words are rooted in research, says Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD, and CEO of F-Factor. “That mindset is not just empowering, it’s backed by science. I’ve worked with women in their 60s and 70s who made transformative changes simply by deciding they deserved to feel their best,” she says. “Health doesn’t have an expiration date. Your body is dynamic—it’s capable of renewal and change at any age.”
Zuckerbrot’s advice for improving your health: Start with something sustainable. “Prioritize fiber-rich meals, hydrate and move your body in ways that bring you joy,” she says. “Don’t chase perfection. Instead, build consistency.”
Pulling back the curtain on ‘perfection’
While it might never be too late to get in shape, it can still be hard to see women with a seemingly-perfect hairstyle, makeup or figure.. But Frankel told her followers that nobody looks like that in reality, at least not when they first wake up.
“I can tell you with great certainty that every woman who was with me on that stage did not look like that two hours prior. It was everybody’s job and that’s what goes on in Hollywood and the entertainment industry and the images you and your daughters see of women,” she said in a TikTok video posted on June 2. “There is a lot of work that goes into that—a lot of glam, a lot of contouring, a lot of lighting.”
Bethenny Frankel’s weight loss
In the past, Frankel has been open about her struggles with self-love, body image, and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). She said that her previous obsession with food and exercise actually worked against her when it came to weight loss. “I used to be 25 pounds heavier in my early 30s. Why? Because I was fixated and obsessed,” she said in the same TikTok video.
She even went as far as to say that exercise wasn’t what changed her body. “My body is natural. I don’t do weights,” Frankel said in the video. “I’ll go months without exercise and definitely days without doing anything, but I always come back to it. I have a good relationship with it and I have a good relationship with food.”
Zuckerbrot confirms that while exercise is valuable for heart health, mood and muscle tone, it plays a smaller role in weight loss than most people think. “Nutrition is what moves the needle,” Zuckerbrot says. “That said, strength training is especially important as women age. It protects bone density, maintains lean muscle and supports metabolic health.”
In fact, a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that women who strength train two to three times per week have a significantly lower risk of heart disease. “That’s not just about aesthetics—it’s about longevity and vitality,” Zuckerbrot says.
The problem with yo-yo dieting—and what Bethenny did instead
Frankel attributes her healthier figure to breaking the pattern of “binging and starving,” also known as yo-yo dieting, something she struggled with in the past. Dietitians agree that this cycle, which ping-pongs between polar extremes, has a negative impact on health.
“Yo-yo dieting is one of the most damaging patterns I see in my practice,” Zuckerbrot says. “It disrupts your metabolism, increases fat retention and erodes your trust in your own body. The irony is, the more you obsess, the further you often drift from your goals. Weight loss is a byproduct of wellness, not punishment.” Instead, Frankel has taken a more balanced approached to eating (more on that below).
Bethenny Frankel’s ‘Supermodel Diet’
While Frankel’s approach to eating is healthier and more balanced than it’s been in the past, she’s no stranger to sharing her tips to cut calories. Her recent TikTok videos are pushing out a new approach to health that she calls the “Supermodel Diet,” which helped her prepare for her Sports Illustrated show, and fans are following along.
Known for her chicken salad reviews, Frankel’s newest snack of choice usually involves cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and fresh produce. On April 22, Frankel walked followers through the creation of her “Supermodel Sandwich,” a low-calorie, protein-packed turkey sandwich with salted tomato slices, lettuce, and cottage cheese. Since then, Frankel shared recipes for her “Supermodel Omelette,” an egg white omelet with cottage cheese and Everything Bagel Seasoning, “Supermodel Starbucks order,” a grande, sugar free vanilla almond milk Misto, and countless “Supermodel Snacks,” including slices cucumbers with Tajin and Skinnygirl caesar salad dressing.
Still, Frankel urges women to stop looking for a band-aid solution to weight loss and better health. “I am here to tell you the truth about what goes on, because it’s no quick fix,” Frankel said about her health. “It’s no one thing I did. It’s no one sandwich. It’s no one treatment. It’s a journey.”
Is Bethenny Frankel’s diet plan right for you?
“Bethenny’s message—particularly around letting go of extremes and embracing self-acceptance—is refreshing,” Zuckerbrot says. “And I applaud any woman who encourages others to tune out toxic diet culture. That said, what works for her may not be a complete roadmap for others.”
Frankel’s take on dieting echoes the intuitive eating philosophy that emphasizes listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues rather than following rigid eating plans for weight loss.
“Intuitive eating is wonderful in theory, but many women need structure before they can trust their intuition. Some need education around nutrition, metabolism and hormones to build that foundation,” Zuckerbrot continues.
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