Billy Gardell had weight loss surgery in 2021
Billy Gardell, renowned for his lead role on the sitcom “Mike & Molly,” has undergone a significant weight loss journey in recent years.
The actor is now opening up about the details of his transformation and the strategies he employs to maintain his new weight.
Gardell opted for bariatric surgery in 2022, and he revealed in a recent interview with People that the procedure “changed and saved my life.”
He further emphasized, “But what I will say about this surgery is it’s not the answer, it’s just the beginning. So my suggestion to anybody who’s considering this is to study and immerse yourself in the commitment it takes after the surgery to maintain this and take care of yourself. If you’re not willing to make that commitment, don’t do the surgery. But if you are willing to make that commitment, then it’s been an incredibly healthy change for my life.”
For Gardell, this commitment involves adhering to a healthy diet and incorporating regular exercise into his routine. He ensures to go on a walk every day. While he allows himself a “cheat meal” once a week, he sets limits on it, such as “two slices of pizza as opposed to the entire pie.”
He continued, “I’ve learned that the thing is to not look in the mirror and be mean to yourself and go, ‘Oh, you got to change this. Come on, you lazy piece of crap. Keep going.’ None of that works. You got to look in the mirror and go, ‘All right, I love you and I’m going to take care of you today.’ And that’s a hard thing to get to until you evolve emotionally. And I think that happened for me.”
Currently, his weight hovers around 207 pounds, and he mentions that he’s shed about 170 pounds throughout his journey.
Before his surgery, he revealed that he had contemplated undergoing the procedure several times before, but ultimately backed out.
“At some point, you reach a breaking point,” he explained. “I was so overweight that exercising became painful. Then I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and I relied on medication for about a year and a half. That’s when I asked myself, ‘Do I want to depend on medication for the rest of my life?’”
He expressed that he had attempted various methods to shed weight but found himself stuck in a cycle where he would lose 30 pounds only to regain 35.
“I realized I needed a drastic solution,” he confessed, “but it wasn’t until I was willing to accept that even with the surgery, I would need to shift my mindset.”
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted him to reconsider his thought patterns as his weight placed him at a higher risk for severe symptoms.
“The thought of not being there for my wife or my child was a driving force behind my decision,” he expressed. “It pushed me to commit to whatever it takes to improve my health. Sometimes, you need assistance, and you must be humble enough to seek help for progress to occur.”