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Bethenny Frankel on 'How America Gets Fat'

ByURSULA FAHY
December 22, 2010, 8:09 PM

Jan. 4, 2011 — -- She's the self-proclaimed queen of TMI -- too much information -- and, even during a yoga lesson, Bethenny Frankel can't help but overshare.

"This is [the] plank pose," she said as she balanced her upper body on her elbows. "This is good for looking at your cleavage."

Frankel is the hard-charging reality show star who has spent years cracking lewd jokes: "Think of my vagina as a vase. If you sleep with me, you need to send it flowers," is one of her more famous quips.

"Primetime: Celebrity Weight Loss -- What Really Happens" is an hour-long special airing on Wednesday, Jan. 5 at 10 p.m. ET.

But she's more than just a naughty, quick wit -- these days, Frankel, a trained former chef, is busy building a multi-million dollar empire on three "f" words: food, fitness and fame. Nutrition books, workout videos and a line of low-calorie "SkinnyGirl" foods are among her many ventures, which in 2010, earned Frankel an estimated $4 million, according to The Daily Beast.

CLICK HERE to view some of Bethenny's latest recipes for healthy meals.

It's a far cry from Frankel's life just three years ago -- when she said she couldn't afford to pay her rent.

Gifts from boyfriends helped her get by, she said.

"I dated guys that were rich and they helped me with my rent," she said.

Frankel's fans first discovered her as a contestant on "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart," where Frankel ultimately placed second.

She went on to raise eyebrows on the reality show "The Real Housewives of New York" before getting pregnant, getting married and getting her own reality show, "Bethenny Getting Married?"

Most recently, the new mom donned ice skates for ABC's "Skating With the Stars."

Her popularity stems from her ability to show her authentic self, warts and all.

"I showed the little minutia like what happens when you have to pee and you're 7 and ½ months pregnant and you have to walk down the aisle? If it the classiest thing to pee in a champagne bucket? No. Was it my only option at the time? Yes," Frankel said, recalling a memory that was captured by cameras on "Bethenny Getting Married."

"So it's the in between -- the stuff that's really going on in people's houses, the breast feeding, the staying up all night, the not having time and, you know, just what goes on in a marriage," she said.

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