Billy Gardell, known for his role on “Mike & Molly,” appeared almost unrecognizable in Los Angeles this week, showcasing a dramatic transformation following a 170-pound weight loss.

Gardell’s significant weight reduction came after he underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2021. The actor, who previously battled type 2 diabetes, once tipped the scales at 380 pounds.

Now 56, Gardell was spotted flaunting his sleek new physique while enjoying a sunny walk alongside his wife, Patty, dressed in a chic ensemble.

He wore a flowing white sweater that subtly concealed his slim figure, paired with acid wash jeans and crisp white sneakers, exuding casual elegance.

With his hair slicked back and stylish tortoiseshell sunglasses, the six-foot actor flashed a bright smile as he kept up with his fitness routine.

The rare sighting comes after Gardell gave a candid interview confessing that the gastric bypass he underwent four years ago ‘saved’ his life, via People.

Mike & Molly star Billy Gardell was completely unrecognizable when he surfaced in Los Angeles this week after his 170lbs weight loss

He underwent a gastric bypass in 2021, having battled type 2 diabetes and at one point weighing a whopping 380lbs; pictured this week (left) and in 2010 Iright)

Gardell said that his wakeup call happened during COVID, stating, ‘When the first wave hit, and they punched up that list of high-risk conditions, I had all of them.’

‘Overweight, sleep apnea, smoker, type 2 diabetes, asthma… It was really the perfect storm,’ he added.

‘Between my blood numbers not coming back good, my blood pressure going up, type 2 diabetes and COVID — it was enough stuff to scare me to say, “Come hell or high water, I’ve got to make a change.”‘

The 6-ft star says the change has immensely improved his health issues. ‘My diabetes is gone. I feel strong. I have energy. Losing weight saved my life.’ 

On July 17, 2021, Gardell underwent bariatric surgery. But he says his weight loss ‘came down to a shift in everything I think about food.’ 

‘Food is fuel. It’s not reward, it’s not soothing, it’s not medication. I had to get beyond my emotional relationship with food.’

Since the surgery, he has shed over 170 pounds through a combination of regular workouts and a carefully managed diet, and now fluctuates ‘between 210 and 215.’

Reflecting on his childhood, Gardell opened up about the challenges that shaped his early relationship with food, following the divorce of his parents.

Now after a svelte new look, the 56-year-old was glimpsed in a stylish outfit as he stepped out for a sunlit stroll with his wife Patty 

His lithe torso was hidden under a flowing white sweater, which he complemented elegantly with a set of acid wash jeans and white sneakers

The rare sighting comes after Gardell gave a candid interview confessing that the gastric bypass he underwent four years ago ‘saved’ his life, via People

Gardell said that his wakeup call happened during COVID, stating, ‘When the first wave hit, and they punched up that list of high-risk conditions, I had all of them’

‘Overweight, sleep apnea, smoker, type 2 diabetes, asthma… It was really the perfect storm,’ he added

‘I had a lot of responsibility heaped on me at 14 to help provide for the family, and the second stepfather that we had in the house was not a kind person. I think I put on this extra weight as some kind of safety armor.’

After leaving home at 17 to pursue his dream of being a stand-up comedian he began ‘medicating’ his ’emotions and fears’ with food. He would also use food to celebrate his successes.

He shared that ‘both of those things are poison pills.’ 

He then struggled with yo-yo dieting over the years, revealing he ‘tried everything’ from ‘low-carb to keto and intermittent fasting.’

‘And by the way, all those things work — but I just couldn’t stay consistent with any of them. I was on a yo-yo thing,’ he added.

For a time, his weight didn’t appear to hold him back. In 2010 he landed the starring role opposite Melissa McCarthy on the hit CBS sitcom Mike & Molly.

The show, which follows a couple who meet at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting, ran for six seasons and, as Gardell says, ‘changed my life. I was the romantic lead at 350 lbs. Life is so strange.’

Three years later, he achieved further TV success with the comedy Bob Hearts Abishola, which follows a man who falls for his nurse while recovering from a heart attack.

On July 17, 2021, Gardell underwent bariatric surgery. But he says his weight loss came down to a shift in how he thinks about food, stating: ‘Food is fuel. It’s not reward’; Seen 2011

But after a while he began to start having issues with his health.

‘I had gotten so big and so stationary that it hurt to stand up,’ he shared.

The actor began to worry about being there for his wife, Patty, and son Will, 22, in the future.

He consulted a doctor about weight-loss surgery twice, and ‘chickened out both times’ before finally making the decision to do it amid his COVID health scare, stating, ‘I was in enough desperation to make a change.’ 

Gardell credits his surgeon, Dr. Philippe Quilici, and nutritionist Teri Hlubik for making his transformation possible.

Gardell follows a disciplined routine which includes breakfast of a turkey sausage sandwich, cottage cheese and fruit in the afternoon, and a light dinner free of fried or sugary foods. He also drinks 75 oz. of water daily, takes multivitamins, a fish oil supplement, and a probiotic, and exercises three to four times a week. 

He is best known for starring opposite McCarthy on the hit CBS sitcom Mike & Molly, which ran for six seasons, from 2010 until 2016; Seen in a still 

He indulges in small splurges like a ‘forkful’ of birthday cake or one slice of pizza on occasion.

The weight-loss has reshaped his everyday life and strengthened the bonds with his family.

‘I can fly in a middle seat on an airplane now,’ he says, adding, ‘I’m able to walk into a store and buy a shirt off the rack.’

Gardell is also known for starring on Sullivan & Son and as the voice of Santa in Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas. 

He has been married to wife Patty Knight since 2001.