‘RHOC’ Star Shannon Beador Gives Update After Separation From David

Real Housewives of Orange County star Shannon Beador has given an update on her life after separating from her ex-husband David Beador.

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, the 54-year-old mother of three revealed that she has been losing weight and feeling great.

“It’s crazy to think what you can accomplish in a year. I’ve learned a lot,” she said. “To say in one year, I’m going to lose nearly all my weight, launch a business that so far is doing well, move on from a marriage, and strengthen friendships and established new ones? That’s a tall order! But I’ve gotten here one step at a time.”

Beador then went on to share that she has been working on her mental and emotional health as well.

“I’ve gotten stronger, deep down. Part of what I did after I separated with David — while staying home, not going out, and not doing much of anything — was I tried to self-reflect and figure out the changes I wanted to make in myself,” she explained. “What kind of person do I want to be?”

“I wasn’t any rose to come home to at the end of my marriage. I was really reactive,” Beador added. “And I needed to learn to take a step back, take in any potential criticism I might perceive about being negative, and really examine that.”

In addition to bettering herself, she has also been casually dating, but is not planning to commit to anything serious right now. David, on the other hand, was recently reported to have moved in with his new girlfriend, Lesley Cook.

Beador has been adamant, though, that she has no intention of ever going back to her ex, with the reality star recently putting her foot down on the subject during a TV interview.

“I have no control over David’s life anymore, he can do whatever he wants to do. But for me, I think that it’s important to not jump into a relationship right away,” Beador said while appearing on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. “I think it’s important for me to stand on my own for a little bit and check out my options. It’s like, if I immediately go with one person, I’m cutting myself off from meeting so many people. I don’t want to do that right now.”

“I got married when I was 35,” she also shared. “It was later for me and I think I was a little bit, ‘I got to hurry up here if I want to have kids so we’re going to make this one work.’ And then we got pregnant on our honeymoon, which was a blessing but we never had that, ‘We’re just married and it’s me and you time.’”

“We never did, but I was thinking that we’d evolve into something. I want a partner. I want to be part of a team. I want to support my partner and I want him to support me. I want to encourage him, and be positive, and have fun,” Beador added. “I didn’t have that in my marriage.”

The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET only on Bravo.