Melissa Gorga in Bathing Suit Goes to "the Shore”

The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s newest season is in full swing, and one episode featured the cast hitting the beach. Naturally, this means they got to show off their incredible figures in swimsuits. Cast member Melissa Gorga posted a group photo on Instagram of the cast posing together at the beach. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Melissa Gorga stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!

1. She Stays Consistent

When it comes to staying healthy, Gorga is all about consistency. And she says that this is easy for her to do. "It’s a lifestyle for me," she says to Women’s Health. "I feel better when I eat healthy. If I don’t work out for a week or two, I feel miserable." "Work your way up to 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (for example, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week). Strong scientific evidence shows that physical activity can help you maintain your weight over time. However, the exact amount of physical activity needed to do this is not clear since it varies greatly from person to person. It’s possible that you may need to do more than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to maintain your weight," says the CDC.

2. She Focuses On Toning

Gorga tells Women’s Health that she focuses on toning when she exercises. "I feel like even if you’re a little bit heavier, it’s all about toning your body," she says. "Work with what you’re working with, but keep it tight." Gorga says that she usually focuses on her legs and lower body. "Muscle-strengthening activities like lifting weights can help you increase or maintain your muscle mass and strength. This is important for older adults who experience reduced muscle mass and muscle strength with aging. Slowly increasing the amount of weight and number of repetitions you do as part of muscle strengthening activities will give you even more benefits, no matter your age," says the CDC.

3. She Avoids Dieting

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Gorga tells Women’s Health that she avoids restricting herself when it comes to food, and focuses on eating healthy. "I never do fad diets," she says. "I feel like I do a lot better with my own routine. It’s worked for me forever."

4. She Tried Emsculpt

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In addition to working out and eating healthy, Gorga revealed to Women’s Health that she tried a new wellness procedure. "I just tried something called Emsculpt, which is the equivalent of doing 20,000 squats in 30 minutes," she says. "You do it four times and each time is a half-hour session. You can do it on your butt or on your abs."

5. She Eats Healthy

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Gorga tells Bravo’s The Daily Dish that when it comes to her diet, she eats pretty healthy. “I always eat right and I make it part of my lifestyle,” she says. Gorga says that she has some go-to healthy meals and options. “I tend to go for fruits and salads.” Here's a recipe for you, courtesy of CelebWell"

Chicks & Sticks Chopped Salad

1 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon-style or whole-grain mustard

1 9-ounce bag romaine or a crunchy lettuce blend, coarsely chopped

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained and rinsed

2 cups shredded cooked chicken*

3 cups matchstick vegetables (such as sweet peppers, carrots, cucumber, radish, green onions, and/or zucchini cut into matchstick-size strips or chopped)

1/4 cup chopped dried tomatoes (oil pack), drained, or quartered kalamata olives

1. Zest and juice the lemon. In a jar with a lid combine lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon zest, oil, and mustard. Cover and shake.
2. In a large bowl layer lettuce, beans, chicken, matchstick vegetables, and tomatoes. Toss with dressing. Makes 4 servings.

*Tip: Leftover cooked skinless chicken or rotisserie chicken, shredded with two forks, works well.

Note: If toting lunch, place one serving in a storage container. Pack in a mini cooler with an ice-pack or refrigerate for up to six hours. To make the salad up to 24 hours ahead, refrigerate the salad and dressing separately and toss before serving.

1. She Doesn’t Diet

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Gorga revealed some of her diet and exercise secrets to Women’s Health. She says that since she has a large Italian family, it’s hard to follow certain diets. Instead, Gorga says that she focuses on eating healthy and what she wants. "I never do fad diets," she says. "I feel like I do a lot better with my own routine. It’s worked for me forever."

2. She Does Emsculpt

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Gorga has a busy schedule, which means she doesn’t always have time to hit the gym. However, she revealed to Women’s Health that she just found a new trick to help her stay in shape. "I just tried something called Emsculpt, which is the equivalent of doing 20,000 squats in 30 minutes," she says. "You do it four times and each time is a half-hour session. You can do it on your butt or on your abs."

3. She Focuses On Toning

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Gorga revealed some of her favorite workouts to Women’s Health. She says that she always opts for exercises that tone. “I feel like even if you’re a little bit heavier, it’s all about toning your body," she says. "Work with what you’re working with, but keep it tight." Gorga says that she does a lot of weights for this reasons.

4. She Avoids Salty Food

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Gorga revealed her secrets for getting into a bikini to Us Weekly. She says that before a swimsuit day, she’ll cut certain foods out of her diet. “I won’t eat, like, salty food the day before, ‘cause I do retain water,” she says. “I pay attention if I’m going to eat anything really salty, or Chinese food, or anything that’s going to give me a lot of salt. I would tend to stick away from [it] if I know I’ve got to put a bikini on the next day.”

5. She Stays Hydrate

Melissa Gorga / Instagram

Gorga tells Us Weekly that one of her biggest wellness tips is staying hydrated. “I just drink so much water,” she says. “I know it’s such, like, a cliche, but it’s so true. It’s one of the truest things for your skin and for the flush out your body.” She says that this helps her when bathing suit season comes around.

With news that both Melissa Gorga and Teresa Guidice are returning to The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Gorga is getting as much relaxation as possible before the inevitable drama sparks off when filming starts in August. Gorga, 44, shared a picture of herself on vacation in Montauk, NY, posing in the surf in a black bikini and white shirt. “Much needed little break by the ocean 🌊,” she captioned the post. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Gorga stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. Weight Training

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Gorga focuses on lifting weights and toning exercises. "I do a lot of lifting," she says. "I don’t do that much cardio, because I run around so much. I feel like even if you’re a little bit heavier, it’s all about toning your body. Work with what you’re working with, but keep it tight."

2. No Fad Diets

Sean Zanni/Getty Images

Gorga avoids restrictive fad diets and focuses on a healthy lifestyle with consistent habits. “I have always been that girl who keeps up with myself,” she says. “I have made fitness and eating right a part of my lifestyle. I never go on any fad diets and just try to keep it consistent throughout the year.” Gorga says she avoids carbs in the evenings and focuses on protein. "For dinner, it’s always a piece of meat and vegetables," she says.

3. Squats and Sit-Ups

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Gorga works out at least three days a week, with plenty of ab work. "I actually do a lot of squats all summer long, and I do a lot of things to tone my legs, as well as a lot of sit-ups,” she says. “I work my lower abs, my upper abs. I do thousands of sit-ups in the summertime because I'm always in a bikini and showing my stomach. I was the queen of excuses, thinking, ‘Oh, I don't really need to; I'm skinny, I don't really feel like it.' But, when you start working out, you see that everything starts to tighten up and everything starts to tone — and it's worth it."

4. Staying Hydrated

Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images

Gorga avoids salty foods and drinks lots of water before slipping into a swimsuit. “I won’t eat, like, salty food the day before, ‘cause I do retain water,” she says. “So, it’s like, I pay attention if I’m going to eat, like, anything really salty or Chinese food or anything that’s going to give me a lot of salt. I pee a lot because I drink a lot of water. So I feel like I’m constantly running to the bathroom because I just drink so much water. So … I know it’s such, like, a cliche, but it’s so true. It’s one of the truest things for your skin and for the flush out your body.”

5. Protecting Her Skin

Gorga is obsessive about protecting her skin from the sun, especially on her face and décolletage. “I actually look funny because if you ever see me out in my backyard or at the beach, my face is always pure white and I will put, like, [SPF] 30 on my skin,” she says. “I just naturally have, you know, olive skin. So it gets dark, but I usually put, like, a [SPF] 15 to 30 on my body, but my chest and my face are always covered in zinc.”