Bill Gardell Shares the Breakfast and Lunch That Helped Him Maintain 170-Pound Weight Loss
Billy Gardell is opening up about how a “shift” in his eating habits helped contribute to his 170-pound weight loss.
The former “Mike & Molly” star, 56, told People his weight had crept up to between 370 and 380 pounds and he’d been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes by the time the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020.
Realizing he was putting his life at risk, Gardell knew it was time to make big changes and opted to undergo bariatric surgery in July 2021.
But the actor, who described himself as a former “chubby” kid, knew he also needed to change his relationship with food.
“It really came down to a shift in everything I think about food,” said Gardell, who noted he had a lifelong habit of turning to food for comfort.
“Food is fuel,” he told the magazine. “It’s not reward, it’s not soothing, it’s not medication. I had to get beyond my emotional relationship with food.”
Billy Gardell at the May Contain Nuts! A Night of Comedy Benefitting WeSPARK Cancer Support Center event on Oct. 15, 2025 in Los Angeles.Amanda Edwards / Getty Images
The “Bob Hearts Abishola” star worked with nutritionist Teri Hlubik, who taught him to replace junk foods with more nutritious foods to fuel his body. He also learned he needed to develop consistent eating habits if he wanted to keep the weight off.
Gardell’s strict routine each day begins with a turkey sausage breakfast sandwich for breakfast. In the afternoon, he snacks on cottage cheese and fruit. Dinner is a light meal that’s not fried or filled with sugar, he said.
The actor makes sure to drink 75 ounces of water every day and includes multivitamins, a fish oil supplement and a probiotic in his daily regimen.
Occasional splurges are OK in Gardell’s book. “I’m able to have a bite or two of something decadent if I want,” he said, adding that he might eat a “forkful” of cake at a birthday party just to taste it.
Gardell also makes it a point to exercise three or four times a week. Having such a strict daily routine, he joked, is “kinda like living in ‘Groundhog Day,’” but “it’s worth every bit of it.”
As for occasional slip-ups, Gardell said, “You’re never going to do it perfectly, but if you’re doing it eight out of 10 times, you’re going to win the battle.”
Billy Gardell played Mike Biggs, a cop, and Melissa McCarthy portrayed fourth-grade teacher Molly Flynn on “Mike & Molly.”CBS Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images
Gardell, who’s now “comfortable” fluctuating between 210 and 215 pounds, says his weight loss has made him healthier than ever.
“My diabetes is gone,” he said. “I feel strong. I have energy. Losing weight saved my life.”
Getting into shape has also allowed him to try new activities including surfing and horseback riding.
“I can fly in a middle seat on an airplane now,” said the actor. “For a big person, that’s the unicorn! And I know it sounds silly, but I’m able to walk into a store and buy a shirt off the rack. That one brings me so much joy, I can’t even explain.”
