Gina Kirschenheiter Has a Warning For RHOC Fans Ahead of the Season 19 Premiere

As “The Real Housewives of Orange County” gears up for its season 19 premiere, Gina Kirschenheiter is already managing expectations. In a candid Instagram video, the Bravo star gave fans a heads-up that not everything they see will be glamorous.

Gina Kirschenheiter Warns Fans About Season 19: ‘I’m Doing the Best I Can’

Ahead of the highly anticipated premiere, Kirschenheiter is already taking to social media to get ahead of what fans might say. From her confessionals to her weight gain, she’s not shying away from any of it.

“I know that you guys are not going to be happy about some things,” Kirschenheiter said on Instagram. “I feel like I should take the opportunity to clear it out now, so that you all understand what’s going on there.”

One of the first things she addressed? Her now-infamous Herschel backpack. “This backpack is my whole life,” she explained, warning that fans will be seeing it “ad nauseum” throughout the season. “I don’t have time [to switch it out], and I don’t care,” she added. “It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

She also gave fans a heads-up about her confessional looks, admitting, “There’s a lack of effort there. It’s a very pretty dress, my jewelry is beautiful. I did my own hair and makeup… I’m doing the best I can, guys.”

Kirschenheiter got even more candid when discussing her weight. “Because I’ve also been happy and work-focused, I have gained weight,” she said, joking that she’s now struggling to fit into her own pants. Her reference to “Love Chub” could signal that things are going well with boyfriend Travis Mullen, whom she’s been dating since 2019.

RHOC Star Shares Her Love of Costco Treats and a Diet That ‘Tried to Kill Her

Kirschenheiter’s refreshingly relatable tone continued in a June Instagram Story where she documented a trip to her happy place: Costco. The RHOC star showed herself enjoying an all-beef hot dog and a chocolate ice cream sundae, writing, “Best day ever. I’ve been so healthy lately… I deserve this!”

But her diet hasn’t always been kind to her. About a week before that Costco run, she shared a more serious update with fans. “I have had some medical issues in the past couple of months,” Kirschenheiter revealed. “As soon as my head hits the pillow, I start to get vertigo… and when I wake up, it’s so bad.”

After months of symptoms, she finally went to a doctor, who asked if she had lost weight. “I said, ‘No, actually, according to your scale—which I clearly think is broken—there’s actually been a significant amount of weight gain.’” When asked about her eating habits, she admitted to having nightly sweets like candy and ice cream—and drinking little to no water.

That, her doctor believed, was the root of the issue. Kirschenheiter tested the theory by cutting the sweets and increasing her hydration. “Last night is the first night that I literally had no treats of any kind before I went to bed,” she said. “And I woke up for the first morning in literally three months [with] no vertigo and no dizziness, nothing.”

She now carries a large Stanley tumbler gifted by her ex-husband Matt Kirschenheiter and his wife Britt to help track her water intake. “My diet was actually trying to kill me in the night,” she joked. “So I’m not doing that anymore… we’re gonna get summer healthy!”

Tell us! Are you excited to see Gina Kirschenheiter return for season 19 of RHOC? Let us know in the comments below.

“The Real Housewives of Orange County” season 19 returns July 10 on Bravo.