Padma Lakshmi had a scant three weeks to get her physique bikini-ready for the 2023 Sports activities Illustrated Swimsuit subject.

“Fortunately I used to be attempting to lose the burden from ‘Prime Chef’ so I used to be within the gymnasium loads,” the actress, 52, advised Web page Six at a Cinema Society screening for Season 2 of Hulu’s “Style the Nation.”

“However I solely had 3 weeks’ discover. It was surreal.”

Lakshmi confessed that when her publicist referred to as her with the information, she thought it was a prank.

“I used to be like, ’No, you’re s–tting me.’ Actually I used to be like, ‘That’s not true, it’s so surreal,’” she recalled with fun. “

“I believed it might occur at some point for me after I was in my 20s and 30s and a mannequin, nevertheless it by no means did, so I actually thought that ship had sailed. So it’s virtually sweeter occurring at this age.”

For extra Web page Six you like …

The “Prime Chef” decide shared that she didn’t go on any crash diets to organize.

“I can’t do this,” she advised us. “I attempted the Atkins weight loss program for 4 hours one time and I had a depraved headache and was offended. I don’t want to alter my physique. I simply must be toned and in form. I’m not a distinct dimension now than earlier than I bought that decision – I’m the identical dimension.”

Nevertheless, she admitted that these previous weeks within the gymnasium have been intense.

“This was a three-week boot camp of boxing, leaping rope, figuring out with weights and rowing machines, daily,” she revealed.

Clearly it was price it because the “Love, Loss, and What We Ate” creator seemed unbelievable within the pictures she shared on Instagram.

Sports activities Illustrated Swimsuit additionally shared a Reel that includes Lakshmi discussing her ideas on being a bikini mannequin at 52.

“When younger ladies see this, I hope they see that they’ve an extended life to dwell,” she mentioned within the clip.

“And that have and knowledge and going by means of stuff really makes you extra attention-grabbing and enriches you as an individual.”

Apart from discussing her bikini bod, Lakshmi is busy selling her cooking and journey collection, “Style the Nation,” wherein she traverses the nation sampling meals from numerous immigrant teams.

This season, she explores the meals tradition of Afghani and Cambodian communities, in addition to Appalachia.

Different celebs on the screening included Susan Sarandon, Chris Rock, Questlove, Bowen Yang, Eric Andre and Marcus Samuelsson.

Lakshmi’s plus-one on the occasion was her 13-year-old daughter, Krishna.