Gia Giudice Cried Every Day During 'Special Forces' Before Season Victory

Gia Guidice -- who was just announced as the winner of "Special Forces" -- is reflecting back on her time on the reality TV show ... and she tells us there wasn't a day during filming that she didn't end up crying.

Gia joined the show for the 4th season with her mother Teresa Giudice ... where the two were faced with intense tasks mimicking brutal situations military forces undergo in training -- and Gia was announced the winner on Sunday night's season finale.

Gia told us there wasn't a day during the show that she didn't shed tears -- but ... "As each day went on, I was just like, 'I can't give up.'"

According to Gia, when she learned she won, her brain was so fogged from the interrogation she underwent that she didn't fully process what was going on.

She told us ... "When it was me and Shawn [Johnson] standing there, we kind of were smirking at each other, and we were like, 'I think we just did this.'"

No doubt the experience grew her appreciation for our men and women in uniform, telling us ... "Thank you so much to our U.S. military and the amazing cast that was on 'Special Forces.'"

She also made sure to give a huge thank you to FOX for the opportunity -- as her reality show "Next Gen NYC" is currently filming a new season.