Inspired by last night's Thintervention season finale, I started thinking about how so many Real Housewives have slimmed down before our zoned-out, reality TV-obsessed eyes. The ladies of New Jersey, New York, Orange County, Atlanta and DC might not have much in common (Countess de Lesseps and Kim Zolciak don't exactly seem like they'd be best buds) but one thing they do share is a dream. A dream to be lean. Check it out:
The Housewife: NeNe Leakes
The Show: The Real Housewives of Atlanta
How She Lost It: Liposuction
The 42-year-old diva recently pulled a mini-Montag, publicly debuting the results of a trio of plastic surgeries: Nose job, breast lift, and lipo. In the new issue of PEOPLE, she says, "I'm very comfortable and confident in myself. I just wanted a tune up. I still wanted to look like NeNe, the black woman that I am, but a better version." The new-and-improved NeNe is sporting D-cup breasts (she downgraded from DD), and purportedly wears a 8 after shedding 15 pounds.
The Housewife: Jeana Keough
The Show: The Real Housewives of Orange County
How She Lost It: She hired a trainer.
The former Playboy model wanted to get her look-at-me mojo back AND fit into her old skinny jeans. For her, that meant shedding 25 pounds worth of emotional eating-fueled flab. Keough enlisted the help of Jackie Warner, who empowered her to delve deeper than her waistline and explore her communication difficulties and feelings of self-worth. After that, along with a good amount of elbow grease, the pounds came off.
The Housewife: Caroline Manzo
The Show: The Real Housewives of New Jersey
How She Lost It: Portion control
I've teased her about her unconventional grooming habits, but Manzo wowed us with her dramatic transformation. The mom of three grown children (who like to throw slices of ham at her as an inside joke) lost 25 pounds via portion control. "If I want pasta, I have it for lunch instead of for dinner," she has said. "That's all. If I want a piece of cheesecake, I have half instead of a whole," She also sweats it out three times a week with 45 minutes to an hour of exercise.
The Housewife: Bethenny Frankel
The Show: The Real Housewives of New York
How She Lost It: She's naturally skinny!
Everyone's favorite Real Housewife, the sassy-n-snarky Bethenny, is on the cover of Health magazine this month, where she dishes about her lightening-quick post-baby weight loss. The 39-year-old mom of four-month-old Bryn and best-selling author (Naturally Thin, The Skinnygirl Dish) attributes her wicked bod to staying fit and healthy during pregnancy and not gobbling every greasy or cheesy thing in sight. When asked about her body image, she explains, "The one thing a baby brings on is what's really important. I don't look the same in a bikini as I used to, but it's not like I'm running around in a bikini. You just need to look decent in your clothes! I think it's very selfish to be obsessing about your body when you have a new baby." Wise words from a funny lady.
The Housewife: Teresa Giudice
The Show: The Real Housewives of New Jersey
How She Lost It: By eating...pasta?
The infamous table-flipper, 38, just posted a picture of herself in a bikini with her baby daughter on her Facebook page, looking like she'd never given birth -- let alone to four girls! She hasn't explained how she lost the baby weight, but as the author of New York Times best-selling diet/cookbook Skinny Italian, we're guessing it has something to do with what she puts in her mouth. Veal piccata, steak pizzaiola and almond biscotti don't sounds like classic diet fare, and replenishing your electrolytes following a hard workout with a peach bellini ain't gonna get you very far, but there's no denying her slim bod. According to the book reviews, Giudice focused on flavoring dishes with high-impact, zero-calorie fresh herbs, garlic, and hot pepper. The section on olive oil is titled "OO, VOO, EVOO, WTF?" Need we say more?
The Housewife: Michaele Salahi
The Show: The Real Housewives of D.C.
How She Lost It: Illness
President Obama's most infamous party crasher has been accusing by castmates of having an eating disorder. But the 44-year-old socialite recently disclosed the real reason behind her thin frame: An autoimmune disease called Multiple Sclerosis. Salahi has said she's been fighting the disease for 17 years, and that staying skinny helps her deal with MS symptoms, which can make it extremely difficult to move around. "I start the day with a hot chocolate and cereal -- I love Lucky Charms or Kashi GoLean -- then some fruit," she told In Touch magazine. "I don't really eat a lot in the middle of the day. I have an early dinner, which is always a salad, with plain chicken, grilled or broiled." This is one weight loss plan we'd never wish on anyone, and despite her national security-thwarting antics, we wish her all the best.