When Padma Lakshmi was told she would appear in the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, she immediately got to work. "Luckily, I was trying to lose the weight from ‘Top Chef,’ so I was in the gym a lot," the culinary star told Page Six on Sunday. "But I only had three weeks’ notice," the 52-year-old revealed. "It was surreal." Despite savoring delicious grub for a living, the "Taste the Nation" host told the outlet that she was adamant about not trying any crash diets to get her in bikini-ready shape quickly. "I can’t do that," she said. "I tried the Atkins diet for four hours one time and I had a wicked headache and was angry.
I don’t need to change my body. I just need to be toned and in shape. I’m not a different size now than before I got the call – I’m the same size." Still, the author admitted that she broke a serious sweat to ensure she would look – and feel – her very best for the sizzling shoot. "This was a three-week boot camp of boxing, jumping rope, working out with weights and rowing machines," she said. "Every day." The mom of 13-year-old daughter Krishna was photographed by Yu Tsai in Dominica.
For the upcoming issue, she rocked an itsy bitsy bikini by Toxic Sadie beaded with golden mother-of-pearl sequins. She also modeled a two-piece made of seashells, a suit that resembles seaweed and a sunshine yellow bikini.
Lakshmi, who got her start as a model in the ‘90s, recently told Fox News Digital that it was empowering to appear in the magazine at her age.
Read more on foxnews.com