Mike & Molly star Billy Gardell reveals weight loss surgery probably saved his life
“Mike & Molly” star Billy Gardell is sharing how his dramatic weight loss after bariatric surgery in 2021 changed his life.During a recent appearance on the “Breaking Bread” podcast, the 57-year-old actor said his decision to undergo the surgery “probably saved my life” and described the circumstances that led to him deciding that was the right route for him.He explained that he had developed Type 2 diabetes and “some cholesterol stuff, some heart stuff,” joking that his doctor told him that, “after 50, the warranties start running out.”“You can’t outrun those.I think the only reason I was able to survive as long as I did is one, I got decent genetics, and two was I played some sports when I was younger,” he said.“So, I was a big fat guy, but I was a pretty solid fat guy, and I could carry the weight for a long time, but eventually you can’t outrun that.”After a certain point, Gardell said, his doctor approached him and said, “You have to do something.”“I got to the point where I hurt my knee, and I couldn’t even walk for exercise, and I was like, I have to do something drastic,” he said.
“So, I got the surgery, and it’s been a couple years now, and I probably saved my life.I’m not on any medication.
Diabetes is gone.”Five years after the surgery, the actor explained, he has “to be real selective” about what he eats because he only has “12 ounces to work with,” but he said the issue with that is “the fat Hulk is still running around” in his mind wanting to overindulge.Aside from saving his life, the surgery and resulting weight loss also allowed him to do things he couldn’t do before, including hiking with his wife and buying something “off the rack” when shopping at the mall.“It’s just those little freedoms that you go, ‘Wow, man.I’m so grateful I can do this now,'” he said.
“I know those are simple, stupid things, but they mean the world to me.”Gardell explained he decided to ...