Entertainment TV The 10 Most Shocking Revelations from Teresa Giudice's Prison Memoir Everything you need to know about The Real Housewives of New Jersey star's 11-month stay in a federal corrections facility By Emily Strohm and Charlotte Triggs Charlotte Triggs Managing Editor, PEOPLE Digital People Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 26, 2016 11:42 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Gillian Laub Teresa Giudice is officially a free woman, and now the Real Housewives of New Jersey star is revealing all the details of her 11-month stay in jail. From her first moments as an inmate to learning of maggots in the food, here are the most shocking details of her prison diary. • Teresa, 43, had to squat and cough during her first strip search at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut. “I have never felt more vulnerable in my life,” she said of the experience. • She never watched Orange Is the New Black. Even though Danbury inspired the hit Netflix TV show, Teresa still didn’t want to see it. “I just wanted to go in and figure it out and see everything for the first time on my own.” RELATED VIDEO: What Teresa Giudice Was Able to Bring to Prison • Her four daughters – Gia, 15, Gabriella, 12, Milania, 10, and Audriana, 6 – lost it when she left for jail. When it was time to turn herself in Teresa says her daughters were hysterical. “It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my whole entire life.” • Feminine products had many uses in prison. Inmates used maxi-pads for everything from facemasks to makeup removers, slippers and cleaning rags. “I laughed the first time I wiped down the floor and my locker with a maxi pad. I couldn’t help but think, if only everyone could see me now.” But the one that surprised the reality star the most? A prison-style sex toy made with a maxi-pad, a toothbrush and a rubber glove. “I never cared to use anything like that, but I have to say, the women in there are so creative.” RELATED VIDEO: Joe Giudice Reveals Post-Prison Plans with Wife Teresa: ‘We’ll Be Spending a lot of Time in the Bedroom’ • Teresa witnessed nightly sex sessions and hookups between her roommates. “The ladies were getting it on so much that our room became known as the Boom Boom Room,” she said. For much more from Teresa Giudice, plus an exclusive interview with her husband Joe as he prepares to serve his own prison sentence, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE Magazine, on newsstands Friday • She worked out three times a day, lost 8 lbs. and went down two to three sizes. Teresa did everything from running on the track to lifting weights and exercise classes, but she became most passionate about yoga: “It got me though this whole ordeal, and I can’t live without it now.” RELATED VIDEO: Teresa Giudice Taught Exercise Classes in Prison! • Maggots at meal time. Hot dogs and hamburgers were often on the menu at Danbury, but Teresa wasn’t a fan of the meat. She tried her best to eat healthy and have salad whenever she could, especially after word got around someone spotted maggots in the rice! • Fights went down over watching television in jail. Danbury only had five televisions for 200 women to share, but Teresa says despite the drama she was never scared. “I’m pretty strong. I think I could handle myself.” • Her birthday on the inside. Giudice’s inmate friends surprised her on her 43rd with a special dinner of chicken, linguini and cookies. She also got gifts including a pair of crochêd booties and lotion from the commissary. But the party wasn’t a one-time thing. The women had regular get-togethers to celebrate inmates leaving at the end of their sentences. • The rumors of Joe cheating on her while she was in prison never bothered her. “We’ve been married 16 years, and we’re both devoted to each other.” • There were no conjugal visits, but that didn’t bother Teresa. “I think that’d be kind of weird,” she says. “Just not the right setting, you know?” RELATED VIDEO: Joe Giudice on Teresa’s Life in Prison – Including Her Beauty Regimen • She indulged in prison-style spa services. Teresa had her hair, makeup and nails done by her friends. She even paid for a back massage from another inmate by buying her a couple bags of chips, Diet Coke, mascara and shampoo. • Her job in the kitchen was considered cushy. Teresa made 12 cents an hour wiping down tables in the dining room where she wore a white button-down shirt and black-and-white checkered pants. One perk of working in the kitchen? She had items that were considered contraband (like raisins) at her disposal.