TV star Billy Gardell has revealed the secrets behind his weight loss after he was seen at an event looking dramatically slimmed down. Photo / Getty Images
TV star Billy Gardell has revealed the secrets behind his weight loss after he was seen at an event looking dramatically slimmed down. Photo / Getty Images
Following an intense weight-loss journey, Mike & Molly actor Billy Gardell has been flaunting his dramatically slimmed down figure.
Gardell, 53 - who weighed 168kg when he was filming the comedy sitcom show - has revealed details of his body transformation, according to Fox News.
Appearing on Entertainment Tonight, Gardell reflected on his current weight: “I float between 205 [93kg] and 210 pounds [95kg].”
“Self-care is important, and I think I finally got there … Walking around pretty healthy these days.”
Gardell then offered a piece of advice to his fans who might also be struggling with their weight.
“I think you got to find peace with yourself and at some point, look in the mirror and go, ‘You know, it’s probably time to take care of you.’ And I didn’t get that note early on,” he shared. “But I’m a big believer that when you get it, you get it. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you get it.”
Billy Gardell showed off his jaw-dropping slimmed-down figure after his dramatic weight-loss journey. Photo / Getty Images
The Special Unit actor decided in 2020 to undergo a life-changing procedure: gastric bypass surgery.
“I chickened out from doing it like twice,” he revealed.
Gardell also tried using the controversial weight loss drug Ozempic, which he even starred in an advert for in 2021. The medication was originally supposed to be used by people who suffer from diabetes, which the actor had at the time, but has since been used as a way of losing weight at a rapid speed.
Since his dramatic weight loss, Gardell revealed that his resting heart rate was reduced from 113 to 68 and that he no longer suffers from Type 2 diabetes.
Gardell credits his weight loss to healthier life choices, which meant including “small but very healthy” meals in his diet. However, the actor says there was one bad habit that he still hadn’t overcome yet.
Billy Gardell weighed 168kg when he was filming the comedy sitcom show Mike & Molly. Photo / Getty Images
“I’m still smoking cigarettes,” Gardell shared. “But I’m working on that one. A buddy of mine told me, ‘Knock them down in the order they’re killing you.’”
The actor, who is a father-of-one, revealed that his son was his biggest incentive to drop a few pounds.
“When you hit 50, you start doing that dad math, like, ‘If I can live 25 more years, and he’ll be 40′ … You know what I mean? … I want to be here for him,” he said.
The star switched to healthier life choices, such as 'small but very healthy' meals in his diet. Photo / Getty Images
“I’ve been an example in a lot of good ways for my child, but I feel like I wasn’t a good example of health for him … I want him to see that. It doesn’t matter what age you are, if you are willing to do something a day at a time, you can change anything.”
Gardell added that, when he was filming, he had to tape back his skin because it “hadn’t adjusted yet” after the extreme weight loss.
One down side to being slimmer, remarked Gardell, was his drastically different wardrobe.
“I miss my fat boy pants because you could drop them and step out like a fireman,” he laughed.
