Billy Gardell, best known for starring in the sitcom “Mike & Molly,” has lost a significant amount of weight over the past few years.
Now, the actor is revealing how he achieved it and what he’s currently doing to maintain his new weight.
Gardel underwent bariatric surgery in 2022, telling People that the surgery “made a difference and saved my life.”
‘Mike & Molly’ star Billy Gardell jokes he’s still battling ‘fat guys out there’ after losing 170 pounds
Billy Gardell has lost 170 pounds since his weight loss surgery in 2022. (Getty Images)
He added: “But what I’m saying about this surgery is that it’s not the answer, it’s just the beginning. So my suggestion to anyone considering this surgery is to do this after surgery. It’s about studying the efforts necessary to maintain it and seriously immersing yourself in it.” ”
For Gardel, that commitment includes eating healthy and exercising regularly. He also makes sure to go for a walk every day. He takes a “cheat meal” once a week, but sets limits, such as “two pizzas instead of a whole pie.”
Billy Gardel’s current weight is just over 200 pounds. (Getty Images)
She added: “I really learned that the important thing is not to look in the mirror and be mean to yourself and think, ‘Oh, this has to change. Now, you lazy scum, keep going.’ ” he added. You need to look in the mirror and say, “Okay, I love you, and today I’ll take care of you.” And until you evolve emotionally, it’s hard to achieve that. And I think that’s what happened to me. ”
His weight currently hovers around 207 pounds, but he says he lost about 170 pounds during his trip.
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He explained that he was actually scheduled to have several surgeries prior to the surgery, but it “made me feel bad.”
Billy Gardel at SiriusXM Studios in New York City in 2017. (Getty Images)
“At some point, you just get so tired of it,” he said. “I had gotten to the point where it was painful to exercise because I had gotten so big. Then I developed type 2 diabetes and took medication for it for about a year and a half. Do I want to do this?’” Am I going to be on medication for the rest of my life? ”
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He said he had “tried everything” to lose weight, but found himself stuck in a cycle of losing 30 pounds and then gaining 35 pounds back.
Billy Gardell said weight loss surgery was just the beginning of his journey to becoming healthier. (Getty Images)
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“So I needed something drastic,” he admitted, “but until I was ready to accept that even with surgery I would have to change the way I think… It didn’t happen.”
It was the COVID-19 pandemic that prompted him to change his thinking patterns. Because of his weight, he was at higher risk for more severe symptoms.
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“The thought of not being here for my wife and kids sparked a change in me and made me determined to do whatever it took to get healthy,” he said. “Sometimes you need help, but you have to be humble enough to ask for it.”
