Age is just a number for former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks, 48, who recently shed 18 lbs. After deciding to come to LA to celebrate her birthday, she treated herself to the final touches of her new look and she’s not shy to share her secrets. “Intermittent fasting,” Phaedra told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY at the Beverly Hills Rejuvenations Center where she rang in her birthday to tone and tighten her midriff and skin with the help of co-founder Dan Holtz’s latest machines and technologies. “I also started eating for my blood type [Type O], but I exercise too. It’s a combo.”
Even though her skin wasn’t too flabby from her lighter figure, it was important for Phaedra to feel better than ever as she gets older. “18 lbs. really isn’t that much weight,” Phaedra said. “Anytime you tighten and tone you’re going to lose inches, so it’s more about the curvature than the skin. I have absolutely beautiful skin! After having two kids, I never had stretch marks, thank God. But what I did have was a very severe hernia so I am self conscious about my navel area and so this is going to repair the appearance of that. I should see improvement.”
The business mogul, actress and mom to sons Ayden Nida, 11, and Dylan Nida, 8, found success on the scale by keeping it strict when deciding what to put into her body. “I eat a high-protein diet, heavy on lean meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables,” Phaedra said. “And light on grains, beans, and dairy. In the morning, I have a cup of coffee or lemon water with my collagen and then during the day I eat a lot of green things and lean protein. A lot more green and lean. If I’m going to have meat, it’s going to be some good Kobe beef and some spinach. I’m always eating. Or tuna over a bed of spinach. I don’t eat a lot of lettuce, but spinach. I like arugula, kale in smaller amounts because kale can be kind of hard on your stomach sometimes.”
Now that she’s lighter, more toned and tighter than ever, she’s feeling confident and content with her new size. “It’s not really a size thing for me because I’ve never really been a big size,” Phaedra said. “It’s more being compact. My middle area is much smaller, my legs are smaller, but I’m always a 4. The biggest I’ve ever been is a 6. It’s not really that I get so small. You’re lighter and that’s what really feels better, being lighter. I like to walk and also hike.”
With another year around the world, the aspiring actress and star of Peacock’s upcoming second season of Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip is happy to be aging the right way. And with the Rejuvenation Center having locations in Texas, New York and New Jersey, Phaedra may not be done when it comes to toning up her mid-section every few months! “I just think aging gracefully is all about maintenance,” Phaedra added. “They have all the latest, greatest non-invasive machines and Dan is an expert on hormones and I feel like if I’m going to go to a spa I’m going to go to the best and I feel this is hands down the best center in the world for aging gracefully.