Billy Gardell On Losing 150 Pounds, Reversing Diabetes Diagnosis & Shopping At A ‘Normal Store’

Apr 24, 2023 by apost team

Billy Gardell was born on Aug. 20, 1969, in Swissvale, Pennsylvania and developed a love for comedy at a young age. He started performing stand-up comedy in his 20s and quickly gained a following in the Pittsburgh comedy scene.

Gardell’s big break came when he was cast as Billy Colavita in the television series “Lucky.” Although the show only lasted one season, it opened the door for Gardell to other opportunities. He went on to appear in several other television series, including “The King of Queens,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Yes, Dear.”

In 2010, Gardell landed the role of Mike Biggs on the CBS sitcom “Mike & Molly.” The show, which also starred Melissa McCarthy, followed the lives of two overweight people who meet at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting and fall in love. Gardell’s portrayal of Mike Biggs earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2011. The show ran for six seasons before ending in 2016.

Apart from his television work, Gardell has also appeared in several movies, including “You, Me and Dupree,” “Avenging Angelo” and “Jersey Boys.” He has also released several comedy albums, including “Billy Gardell: Halftime” and “Billy Gardell Presents Road Dogs.”

Gardell is known for his warm, friendly personality and relatable sense of humor. He often draws inspiration from his own life experiences, including his struggles with weight and his upbringing in a blue-collar family. 

In September 2022, the actor opened up about his dramatic weight loss that not only saw him drop about 150 pounds, but also led to a reversal of his Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Read on to find out how Gardell managed the impressive transformation and how his health journey is going.

Since the start of his acting career, Gardell had been largely known for usually playing the funny and overweight guy. But that all changed when the pandemic hit in 2020. The challenging period served as a wake-up call for Gardell, who received bad news about his deteriorating health condition.

“At first I developed Type 2 diabetes, and then I went on a medication for that for about a year and start taking care of myself better,” he told Entertainment Tonight in September 2022. “I lost about 30 pounds. But then COVID hit. and when they punched up all the markings that made you ’at risk,’ I had all of them except ‘over 65.’ I had a full bingo card.”

It was then that Gardell decided to take the plunge and undergo bariatric surgery.

“And then I just changed everything I did. I want to be clear – (getting surgery) was a very personal choice. I’m not telling anybody to do it. For me, that’s what I needed to do, but it’s just a tool. The real battle is still in (the mind), because people get this big again,” he added.

The “Bob Hearts Abishola” star then revealed he had dropped more than 150 pounds.

“I’m fighting middleweight these days, I’m down to 212!” Gardell, who said he topped 370 pounds about 10 years ago, said. 

He added despite the success, he wouldn’t be taking his eyes off the ball anytime soon.

“You have a small window to change the way you live, the way you eat, the way you exercise, and so far I’ve been able to do that. I do it a day at a time and I’m just so, so very grateful that that happened for me. No more diabetes, no more bad blood numbers,” the 53-year-old remarked.

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In April 2023, Gardell gave Entertainment Tonight an update on his health journey.

“I float between 205 and 210 (pounds). Self-care is important, and I think I finally got there,” he said.

Gardell also revealed he no longer has Type 2 diabetes and that his resting heart rate has dropped to 68 from 113. Despite his impressive achievement, Gardell said he still has to deal with unwanted comments about his appearance.

“Walking around pretty healthy these days. Of course, there’s always people online that, you know, when I was heavy, they were like ‘You’re too heavy!’ And now it’s like, ‘Are you sick?’ Can I just walk the earth, please?!” Gardell implored.

Gardell explained a major motivator for him has been his wife and son.

“My body feels better, my joints feel better, and I’m trying to stay around and annoy my wife for another 20 years,” Gardell stated. When it came to his son, he said:

“When you hit 50, you start doing that dad math, like, ‘If I can live 25 more years, and he’ll be 40,’... I feel like I wasn’t a good example of health for him. And so 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.” 

While Gardell said it’s fun to be able to “shop at a normal store” and not have to “take a deep breath when I tie my shoes,” some aspects of slimmer life haven’t worked out as well.

“The ankles are too tight. I don’t want to do yoga to get out of my pants. That’s where I miss my fat boy pants, because you could drop them and step out like a fireman,” Gardell joked.

How impressive is Gardell’s health transformation? If you found his story inspiring, be sure to pass this along to family and friends as well.