Mindy Kaling has lost a lot of weight in recent years. You can see the weight loss in her arms, her face and the rest of her body. Some people theorized that she has been on “the Ozempic diet.” I hope not – while Mindy has gotten tons of crap for her weight, I bet her old baseline (non-pregnancy) size was an American 10 or 12. Well, Mindy isn’t saying anything about Ozempic, but she does credit her weight loss to a change in her fitness and diet. She talked about all of that and more with People Magazine, as she promoted her new partnership with Andie Swim, a partnership which had Mindy co-designing a 33-piece collection.
Why she’s working with Andie Swim: “I’ve been a fan of Andie Swim for years. I’ve had six different iterations of my body in the past five years [Kaling is mother to daughter Katherine Swati, 5, and son Spencer Avu, 2], and Andie has always been incredibly flattering. So when they wanted to work with me on this collection, I was thrilled.”
Flattering swimwear for her body: “It’s not like you become a mom and you give up on looking cute and sexy and all you want to wear is a modest navy bathing suit. I don’t need to have a skirted bathing suit. These pieces make me feel young and carefree — they’re not too revealing, they give me support where I need it and the colors are gorgeous. I’m not someone where every piece of clothing is flattering on me. I am curvy and I have big thighs, and the collection is great for my body type. And I think a lot of women will like it for themselves as well.”
Whether she’s aware of all of the chatter about her appearance: “I know people are really interested in the changes in my body, and I think it’s flattering but sometimes it’s just a little much, so I try not to tune into it. The truth is that I spend so much time and energy trying to be healthy. I run or hike 20 miles a week and I lift weights. It’s a big commitment for me. I basically live in workout clothes so I can get it in.”
She feels really confident now: “I’m feeling really confident in my body these days, which is not something that I’ve been able to say for my whole life, unfortunately. I feel great.”
Eating in moderation: As someone who loves going out to eat and trying new foods, Kaling says she’s also been eating in moderation in order to maintain the results of her workouts. “It’s really a big commitment,” Kaling admits, noting that her schedule is busy with her children. “It’s hard with two kids that I wake up really early and I fit it in — and I basically live in workout clothes so I can get it in, get an extra mile in. I just tell myself I have to do basically 20 miles a week of either hiking or running. And so that’s been incredibly helpful to me.”
I do more than 20 miles of walking or hiking a week and my body has not transformed like Mindy’s. Seriously though, I love walking. I average 25-30 miles a week. My legs feel so strong these days. I don’t eat in moderation, but I’m also not gorging myself. Hmmm!! Anyway, I’m happy for Mindy and I’m glad that she sounds like she’s in a healthy place psychologically and physically. When she came out during the awards season, people really were startled to see how much weight she’s lost.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instagram.
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- Mindy Kaling arrives on the red carpet of The 95th Oscars® at The Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, March 12, 2023.,Image: 762312933, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: AL / Avalon
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- Mindy Kaling arrives on the red carpet of The 95th Oscars® at The Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, March 12, 2023.,Image: 762314744, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: AL / Avalon
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- Mindy Kaling attends the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Celebrating the 95th Annual Academy Awards Hosted By Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 12, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California,Image: 762452587, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Mindy Kaling, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- Mindy Kaling attends the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Celebrating the 95th Annual Academy Awards Hosted By Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 12, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California,Image: 762452602, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Mindy Kaling, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: (L-R) B. J. Novak and Mindy Kaling attend the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 12, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.,Image: 763123451, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: B. J. Novak, Mindy Kaling, Credit line: Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon
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- MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA – MAY 01: Mindy Kaling wearing Jonathan Simkha departs The Mark Hotel for The 2023 Met Gala (2023 Costume Institute Benefit) Celebrating ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty’ at The Mark Hotel on May 1, 2023 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States.,Image: 773295337, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Mindy Kaling, Credit line: Image Press Agency / Image Press Agency / Avalon
I can’t see how much weight she’s lost? She looks like she’s fitter. And for someone who works out that much, it’s totally plausible plus she doesn’t eat heaps.
This. I think she looks more or less the same but in shape. Like she’s built muscle – which happens when you lift weights, which she also said she does.
I have had a trainer since 2021 and even though I haven’t lost a lot of weight, my eating habits have changed and I lift weights 4 days a week currently. I also do high intensity dance classes, swimming, and biking. And I love to walk. Anyway as a result of this like I said not much weight has dropped but instead gone from fat to muscle mass. So my clothes suddenly fit differently and people notice. It takes a lot of time and effort, but it works.
I agree. She doesn’t look stringy and dehydrated like a lot of celebs who have lost weight recently. Her face is completely different from her Office days, but that’s cosmetic procedures, not sudden weight loss.
Yeah but… those of us who know Mindy, who have followed her for 15 plus year and read her books and interviews and social media know that she’s ALWAYS eaten well and worked out. She’s always hiked, always loved spin classes, and a long time ago, cooked everything in Gwenyth Paltrow’s crazy elimination diet cookbook. She once said something to the effect of “I work hard to be a normal-sized woman”. The healthy habits aren’t new. The dramatic weight loss is new.
I agree- 20 miles a week run/hike is really not that much honestly. I run three miles four times a week and live in Colorado so I hike realistically 6 miles easily. That’s not a weight-loss level of activity to me, that’s a keep weight off level of activity.
Yes, I agree with this. She’s been a runner for a long time. I dropped weight dramatically when I started running 20 miles a week, but she’s said she’s been doing it for a long time now. I don’t think she even looks remotely the same.
This. All of this. Thank You Mika.
“Those of us”
I am one of you. I first saw her in Forty Year Old Virgin in theaters. Watched her real time in The Office. Binged her audiobooks. Followed her IG.
Also Molly I live in Colorado! (Foothills) Maybe I’m just bad at hiking. Bc I fckin hate it. But hiking makes me damn winded 🤣 so we will have to disagree that hiking isn’t that hard. There’s a hill just behind my house that I’ve been riding my bike up for ten years. Everyone calls it the widow maker. There are some days even after ten years I have to walk my bike up instead of riding it. You can do the same thing regularly for ten years and still have different results. Who knows, maybe she is on a weight loss drug, or maybe she just got more serious about portions. I ate pretty healthy for the past ten years (mainly out of financial necessity) but I was not eating enough, so I reverse cycled and it changed everything.
Ultimately only she knows. My own opinion is it is doable but of course if it’s been less than six months with dramatic weight loss skepticism is understandable. I’ll admit I don’t know what the timeframe has been. Like I said it took me about two years to get to where I am and that’s in addition to a hypothyroidism diagnosis so I am on meds which has also helped but it is not a weight loss drug. I’m still more inclined to think it’s not Ozempic that Mindy is using.
Sorry not sorry but I no longer believe celebrities who credit eating well and exercise ONLY for their bodies.
We know they have access to medications to help them lose weight and suppress appetite. Ozempic is the drug du jour but there have other drugs in the past doing the same thing.
We know they have access to help – people who can cook and clean and all those things is regular people need to do along with our work and caring for families and that this can free them up mentally and physically which can impact weight.
I get why they won’t disclose all the ways they stay in shape because certain methods are going to be viewed as controversial but maybe it would be nice to see some of these celebrities quit the lying and bullshit.
This is akin to the Kardashians lying about all the work done to their faces and bodies.
I think she’s on ozempic she’s always worked out but now she’s thin so there has to be something extra.
idk, she looks like she lost about 40 pounds to me – the difference seems pretty dramatic. to be fair to her, she didn’t say that she wasn’t ALSO using a weight loss drug for that extra help, so maybe she’s just being careful with her words (and I understand that many people will find that a lie by omission – just wondering about it).
I looooove Mindy, but I’m not fully sure I believe her when she says it’s just moderation and walking that’s transformed her body. Maybe. But we constantly hear how stars claim that but are doing so much more or starving themselves.
Well to be fair she didn’t say walking, she said running or hiking – those activities are a lot higher in intensity than walking.
But yeah unfortunately we’ve heard it so many times it’s hard not to be skeptical.
Eh. As a former marathon runner, running about 50 miles a week year round for decades, I can attest to the exercise not being the sole difference for her or likely most other people. You’ve got to pay attention to what you eat, and for someone to lose a lot of weight & keep it off, it’s going to be strict attention. Every day, no letting up. I’m a naturally slim person (it’s my genetic makeup & upbringing & lifestyle), but I was never skinny or even particularly lean in spite of all those miles.
She doesn’t talk about walking. She says running or hiking. I think there is a big difference in walking 20 miles and running 20 miles.
there is very little difference between walking and running 20 miles in one week which breaks down to about an hour of either 5 days a week
There’s a big difference between running for an hour and walking for an hour. There’s not a big difference between running for a mile and walking for a mile. As far as calories burned.
She also said she has been lifting weights. That will dramatically transform a body because any trainer worth their fee is going to make you stop playing with those cutesy baby weights and actually pick up a reasonable weight to work with.
Completely agree HelloKitty, crunching the numbers I’m really thinking of moving to a fast walk rather than a run, being mid-fifties it’s starting to take a toll on my knees and hips, and crunching the numbers you don’t burn that many more calories running. Especially if you walk for a longer time than you run.
I think her “eating in a moderation” is her way to speak that she does/did calories counting. Over the course of 6 months, I lost about 17 kg with counting calories. I ate only 1250 -1400 calories per day. I did that while doing HIIT 5-6x a week. After that I started lifting weight. I gained back around 3-4 kgs but my size went down dramatically. Mind you, I am only 5ft3.
So yeah I believe her.
Sure, Jan., and I am the Queen of England, Charles who?
Long has I scrolled this thread, but ’tis not until I found you- my friend, a brethren with a built-in bs detector. Long may we prosper.
Ramen (that’s like amen- but for heathen like me).
All hail Queen Scarlett and the Flying Spaghetti Monster!
Ramen!!!
I really like her, she looks great, but come on.
Do I believe she walks or hikes 20 miles a week? Yes
Do I believe she walks or hikes 20 miles a week to a doctor’s office to get Ozempic shots? Yes
Agree on all counts. It is easier to exercise and get going once you lose weight, so I can also believe that she started exercising and eating better after the weight started to come off via drugs. It’s definitely an incentive to do more once you start losing. I’d love to think of these drugs as a great kickstart but it sounds like people who come off of them just regain the weight.
Agree. Everyone I know who like Mindy is in their 40s and has struggled with their weight for a large portion of their lives, has taken some kind of short cut, whether it be bariatric surgery or weight loss medication. They all knew what they had to do and simply couldn’t do it, and so the shortcut kicked off their weight loss and getting fit 🤷🏻♀️for the record Mindy didn’t need to loose weight per se, she has clearly done this because of the pressure of living in LA/working in Hollywood.
I’m a former anorexic. (Mostly former.) I’m atypical because it seems to be based on CPTS (it’s not body image, and you’d never guess it if you saw me… unless you saw me eating). I just don’t want to eat sometimes. And it messes you up! It’s harder to do EVERYthing and you pretty much don’t want to do anything, b/c you don’t have the energy.
It also puts you into this weird floaty headspace where you’re like, ehh, what difference does it make anyway?
The idea of intentionally taking medication to be like this is astounding to me. It’s not a good thing! Just eat food and be the weight you are!
I want to add that as far as my therapist(s) and I can tell, in my case it’s because withholding food was frequently used to punish little me. Do not do this. Do not give your child an eating disorder! Just send them to their room!
Thanks for listening.
@Bee: I became anorexic in junior high, not because I ever thought I was fat (nor was I), but because I was just so tense & anxious all the time I couldn’t eat. Then it all came to a point where I actually, physically, could not put food in my mouth because it made me gag. That was back in the dark ages, because when my mom took me to the doctor he said, ‘there’s nothing wrong with her, she’s just not eating enough, force her to eat’. Thank goodness my mother was not in the ‘force her to eat’ camp, but I stressed her out as much as myself during that time. I hope you continue to see anorexia in a (mostly) rearview mirror.
You are now twisting my words. I never criticized anyone’s ability to parent. We are exactly the same in that we are expressing opinions. There is no moral high ground in ignoring what celebrity culture can do to women’s body iimages.
And I take Ozempic. There, I finished it for you, Mindy. I think she looks great, but don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining.
Exactly! You said it all!
All I know is Adele, Rebel, and Mindy are now slim.
They looked great before. They look great now. If Ozempic was part of achieving a weight-loss goal, there should be no hesitation to say that.
Please don’t stone me for this- it’s just a personal preference- but I really think Adele & Rebel looked way better before the weight loss. They looked like a Somebody.
But after the weight loss- both of them just turned out looking generic. Beautiful yes, but generic looking.
This is a such a pack of lies from mindy, lying by omission. She’s clearly on Ozempic or another agonist so Ofc she portion controls because you don’t eat. She transformed lighting fast in 6 months after struggling forever, just as this drug is sold out all over the country . It’s irresponsible and has changed my opinion of her. I don’t care if you wanna take this drug but be honest or don’t say anything.
She said she runs or hikes 20 miles a week, lifts weights, and is dieting. I mean, yea maybe she’s not really doing that or maybe she’s doing it on top of the ozempic, but it’s believable to me that her body could transform like that. I lost 30 lbs doing less cardio and lifting no more than 8 lb weights.
Exactly. The most surefire way to lose weight is to… eat fewer calories and work out more. All of which she says she is doing. I don’t know why folks find that hard to believe because when I was at my smallest – I was working out 6 days a week and eating well. Maybe she is taking ozempic, but I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Ameerah — exactly. Her routine sounds like it would lead to becoming more fit. Not sure why everyone insists it could only be ozempic. She also has access to the old school rich person weight loss tools: trainers, dieticians, etc.
I think that works if you’re someone who doesn’t regularly work out and then start working out very frequently. I’ve been an avid runner for almost 20 years now (50-60 miles a week) and the only way I can lose weight is by consuming fewer calories. If I want to just maintain my current weight, I stick to my normal eating/exercising routine.
It really does depend on your lifestyle and how active you regularly are (or not) and like most things, it’s not a one-size-fits-all situation.
This. I am the same way. I walk long distances every day and unless I cut my calories, I don’t lose anything (and I am not an overeater)
I think it’s unfortunate that every time someone loses weight we’ll automatically think they’re lying and taking/ did something. Her body looks toned so she doesn’t have that radical weight loss ozempic skin and it’s not like she has weird unnatural Kardashian proportions.
I know the times that I’ve really applied myself to a diet/workout people have very visibly seen the results. It is possible. Like kitten says above it depends on your starting point. And Mindy’s been progressively losing weight for a while now.
Maybe she is lying but I’m definitely going to give her the benefit of the doubt.
I hope she’s doing it in a healthy way, and if she went from not prioritizing exercise and her diet, and made some changes, it’s totally possible. She’s got access to the best pros to help her too.
I’m guilty of always suspecting something else though, and know several people who have dropped a ton of weight fast, I know one of them had surgery, I think the other 2 did as well, but the one is promoting some program her friend gave her, but I don’t know. Ultimately it’s none of my business, including with Mindy.
Since she became a mom, she’s been doing a lot of nutritional cooking videos on Insta. I think she really wants to be there for her kids, and being healthy is part of that (her mom passed away, and mortality seems to be on her mind).
I think she’s been living in a very disciplined/healthy way for years now, but because of the 2 pregnancies, the public is just now seeing the effects on her body when she’s not pregnant and recovering from that. I totally think this could be from diet and exercise over a longer period of time than people realize.
So full disclosure I’m on Ozempic to help with insulin resistance due to PCOS (along with other meds) and I’ve lost nearly 50lbs since July. I also workout and see a dietician but I’ve done those things most of my life and the weight never really budged (thanks PCOS!) the only thing that helped was adding ozempic – it bothers me that celebs won’t admit to using it. It’s a prescription medication and lying about its use is only helping to uphold this idea that celebs are magical unicorns who lose weight in ways us normals can never imagine.
Fellow PCOS-er here! I’ve been thinking about taking something like Ozempic, because it’s so freaking hard to lose weight without basically starving myself, but I just smell bread and gain 5 pounds. How do you feel on it? Have there been any negative side effects?
Honestly, I am very happy with it. I have eaten a healthy plant-based diet for decades, been active regularly and worked with a fabulous dietician but my weight rarely budged. Ozempic, in addition to all this, has finally shifted my weight and I’m not constantly battling sugar cravings. All my numbers, which were good before, are now spectacular, and my periods are bang-on 28 day cycles! I hope it becomes more available to people with PCOS because it’s changed my life. I have a bit of nausea some days but it gets better, and prunes help with the constipation. Its worth talking to your Dr about
@originallala Love your name btw! I have pcos too and have worked with a trainer for years, done low carb, gluten free (I have a wheat and egg allergy), but the weight hasnt budged. I am a solid size 10. I have thought about ozempic, but worried about side effects because I had stomach issues for years but now have it under control by eliminating foods I am allergic to and taking a probioitic. I also dont have huge cravings or overeat, so i worry it may not do much for me. I take a PCOs supplement thats made in Canada (American living in Canada) thats help regulate my periods more (I am on BC too but this helps even more, I cant get a period without bc). Have you experienced major nausea/tummy issues/constipation?
With all due respect, what exactly is wrong with being a solid size 10?
Bodies have a set point for weight, and trying to look like a movie star isn’t a healthy goal. Healthy looks better than starving. I’ve been both.
Besides nausea and constipation, your hair may start falling out. Your nails will look terrible too. Do you want to be stuck with wiglets and fake nails?
Set up an account on Torrid and be cute at a size 10 is my advice.
At least take a good multivitamin. It won’t counteract it all but it will help.
@Andrea — I’m a solid size 10, have been most of my life except for a bout of anorexia in my twenties which, fortunately, didn’t last long. I’m 5’6″, work out 4-5 days a week, eat a healthy diet and weigh 140 lbs. I am big-boned and broad-shouldered — I know other women who are my height but are tiny-boned so of course they weigh less. I’m happy with my weight and unless you’re only 5′ tall I think you should be too.
Sounds like Ozempic was just what your body needed. Hope you feel better and your PCOS is manageable for you.
I remember a generation of ADHD kids (my brother) who internalized so much of the criticism about medication that they refused to take it–they read all of the ridicule (covers of magazines) of what we now know as neuroatypical and just decided that the naysayers were right–it was just about willpower.
Now I know weight is a whole different issue, but over the past few years (thanks, Maintenence Phase!) I’ve become much more aware of what we don’t know about weight gain and weight loss: everything from the impact of hormones (hello perimenopause and PCOS), to the subtle impact of thyroid, to how weight set points work.
I’m also on Ozempic, and I’m fairly normal–I was hitting slightly above my BMI–but I have Hashimoto’s and a GI condition that makes any weight gain just miserable. And even with intermittent fasting, activity, and everything, nothing shifted. I kept my exact same diet, and after a month on Ozempic, things shifted–not radically, but gradually. I think there are a lot more people like me out there, and I’d like to feel that they aren’t ashamed to use a medication in consult with an ethical physician.
I get that some of the very justifiable outrage is over appalling, unhealthy beauty standards, and I hope that we can separate out the use of these medications for people whose life it genuinely changes in a way that isn’t about extreme aesthetics but for quality of life.
I don’t know if she is being truthful or not 😏 but I don’t believe her 🙄
Me neither🤷♀️
She’s def using some weight loss method either gastric sleeve or ozempic. For years, she preached about how she accepted her body and how much she exercised and ate well yet post 2nd baby she was able to dramatically lose the weight with the same thing she was saying she’s been doing for years? Ain’t no one buying it along with her cosmetic procedures. Look at pics when MK started on the office it looks like 2 diff ppl
Bless her heart. She’s not being truthful. Let’s not forget when she had surgery and other things done to her face, skin, etc. and she acted like everyone was just seeing things.
I just feel bad for her. She has been told by her romantic partners how very much she is not their ideal and she’s gotten thinner and lighter over the years.
I feel awful for any woman at the start of her career to be told that no one would watch her in a sketch comedy show based on her appearance. It certainly stung and you can see it left her self esteem damaged. It looks like she has reached a place where her career, health and family are in a good space. I am happy for her.
Definitely glad she’s doing better but yeah I think just personally and professionally she was constantly told she’s not good enough.
Mindy looks beautiful but she was beautiful before. I hope that she is happy and healthy.
Her health care decisions are really the business of her and her doctor but if she is talking fitness to sell things and is monetizing that shit than not disclosing what her actual practices are is lying and is pretty problematic.
I mean, not the first time Mindy has done problematic things.
I looked up her swimsuit line. It seems very basic for such a high price.
I am not sure I believe her about her weight loss.
On one hand, she really doesn’t owe us or anyone an explanation of how she lost the weight. If she struggled for years to lose it and found a drug that finally helped, then I think she’s an ideal candidate to receive Ozempic for weight loss. That’s different to me than some 120 lb woman using it to lose 10 lbs for an awards show or whatever.
On the other hand, Mindy has crafted an image of herself as a relatable, genuine kind of person so there will always be an expectation of forthrightness and honesty from her–fair or not–and this kind of flies in the face if that. At the end of the day, she has my support. She looks great and apparently feels great too and whatever she did to get to her happy place is A-ok with me.
I’ll preface this by saying I love mindy. I watch her shows, read her books, etc. But the thing is, she has been talking about running and eating right for years and how she’s does those things and the pounds never came off, which is fine, it’s the reality for a lot of people. I just side eyeing this statement cause why did running and eating right all of sudden work? I wish she would just say yes, I’ve been struggling for years and found something that works and I still workout and eat right. I mean she sounds like the ideal person for ozempic.
Yeah read both her books and she talked about her food and exercise routine. She flat out said her body just wanted to be heavier. I would just own it.
God, some of the comments on here are so gross. I’ve said this on other posts but personally I lost 40 ish lbs (baby weight I was carrying for 4 years, lol) between about June 22 and March 23 from watching calories for the first time in my life (not starving at all) and working out again. I lift weights, run, and make sure I get at least 10,000 steps a day but usually more. I follow legitimate fitness and health guy Jordan Syatt – his advice is how I did this. Mindy’s “ transformation “ did not happen overnight and neither did mine, but it can happen fairly quickly with the right advice and hard work.
God, women can never f*cking win. We’re either too fat or too thin. We gain five pounds and must be pregnant. We decide to get healthy because the blood work at that last checkup was a little dicey so we must be on f*cking ozempic. Jesus.
ALL OF THIS.
Thanks Ameerah. I’m so fired up about this kind of thing right now. The way we talk about women’s bodies, changes in bodies, etc. Full of ignorance and internalized oppression.
So, I am not on Ozempic but I lost almost 35 lbs since Aug 2022 through diet and exercise. I was incredibly depressed at the end of COVID. Very slowly it is coming off, with each 5 lbs I am more and more active and more motivated to eat less (not in an anorexic way but feeling better and wanting to eat healthier not reaching for chips or cookies or ice cream for dinner.) So yeah, F*ck these comments!
I think people are skeptical because it really did feel like it happened overnight. I don’t follow her so it felt that way to me, especially since she was open for years about how much she did and her weight stayed the same. And at her age, it’s just so much harder. But honestly, I don’t see enough of her to really know.
I think the reactions are not even that personal to Mindy — I think women are tired of being told by celebs that it just takes a better diet/a little exercise/sunscreen every day/olive oil on my face at night/a gallon of water every day, etc., etc. when it’s clear that the vast majority are using drugs, surgeries, injections, etc.
Maybe Mindy is legit but there has been such a long, rich history of lies that an honest celeb seems like a unicorn.
This. I don’t think it’s about Mindy per se, it’s just collective fatigue.
I know, I mean I think we are starting to realize that we shouldn’t comment or ask people about their bodies yet every single interview with her she has to answer for her weight loss and people are irate at any answer she gives. If I were her I’d feel very cautious about divulging a very detailed nutrition and fitness plan just for people to dissect and/or copy at risk to their health. It’s very possible she’s eating very restrictively and she doesn’t want to announce that hey everyone all you have to do is eat 1,000 calories a day. Or it’s possible she used to binge eat and was understandably ashamed of that and would tell people she was watching what she ate – and now she’s actually eating healthy portions. Who knows? Whose business is it?
Thank you! I was so shocked by the tone of the comments here because what she said genuinely makes sense. Losing weight is totally possible without resorting to under eating and just watching your daily calorie intake. You can lose weight even without exercise (although it helps).
I totally stopped working out during the height of the pandemic but still lost a lot of weight. I ate my regular 3 meals plus some bit of snacks in between and a bit of dessert at the end of the day. The technique is to never let yourself starve and just monitor what you eat.
YES!
Also if you don’t have underlying issues, it’s not that f*cking hard to lose weight (even a lot of weight) if you follow the right advice of how to get into a calorie deficit, watch what you eat, and work out. Any of you could do it if you needed to. This isn’t some big mystery.
Except Mindy Kaling is known for talking about how “diet and exercise” have never helped her lose weight. She claimed to be happy at her size, because she was “healthy” (ate right and exercised, despite not being a sample size). So now diet and exercise helped her lose weight? If you believe that, I have oceanfront property in Arizona I’d like to sell you.
@Mimi, and I was also known to say “I eat healthy, I don’t know why I can’t lose weight. It doesn’t work for me.” Not realizing I didn’t know how to properly count calories and that even if you are a healthy eater, you can still eat too many calories for your goal. Also you sure seem like you think you know a lot about the history of mindy’s comments on this to be able to make such an educated medical opinion about what’s going on with her. 🙄
I feel like I’m going crazy reading these deliberately obtuse arguments.
@Mimi, you’re very, um, *invested* in disbelieving Mindy around weight loss. Are you OK?
I’m with you. If you don’t have underlying issues you should be able to lose weight. There is no big secret – calories in, calories out. I have done intermittent fasting for years (lost a lot of weight at the beginning and totally transformed my body) and now maintaining it. But I would be lying if I said it was easy at the start.
the mystery is the psychological component. and women are so highly encouraged to take care of everyone but themselves. and then there is the havoc that stress does to your body. and the lack of sleep. and I work with the poor, and the complicated tapestry involved for the working (and even nonworking) poor to lose weight is something else entirely.
so sure, in theory everyone can lose weight, but man, it’s a complicated issue to pretend is so simple. i don’t think we would tell addicts or those in abusive situations that it”s simple and to me there are similarities.
@Josephine this is an excellent point. By the same token, being ultra wealthy makes it easier to be thin because you can hire a chef, nutritionist, trainer etc and many wealthy people do, especially live-in chef to make healthy food that also tastes amazing. Also, having the very best ingredients is incredibly helpful (no processed food, no low density nutritional value). Feeling “fed” is a big part of reduced consumption.
One summer I lost 10 pounds just from switching to high quality organic foods. The summers I’ve spent in western Europe I always lost weight because the food standards are much much higher (fewer chemicals, antibiotics etc.).
This is really an ignorant statement. It is really f*cking hard to lose weight for the vast majority of people who try.
@AEB I think age plays into one’s perspective. I always lost weight very easily until I hit 30. Now that I’m almost 40, it’s almost impossible.
If it was so easy to lose weight we would all be thin. I’ll say it’s easier for some than others since genetics and age play into how fast you can lose weight
I don’t know how long ago she started working with this swimwear company, but it bugs me that they seem to only have offered her a collaboration deal AFTER she lost weight or toned up. That’s on the company, not Mindy of course. what message does it send to your customers when one very famous one says she used your clothing when she was heavier because the fit was flattering, but you seek out a collaboration only after she doesn’t need that anymore.
I believe she lost the weight through diet and exercise. It’s not that hard if you put an effort into it. I recently lost 40 pounds through the divorce diet. After no longer needing to cook meals for someone else, I could control what went into my mouth. It was what I wanted, not what he wanted. Miracle diet, indeed.
Congrats!
Sometimes we can be walking, running, exercising, eating clean and right without quantifiable results because mentally we are stressed out, or we eat right Monday through Friday but come the weekend we eat or drink our created deficit and see no change. Then one day something different happens. Hear me out! We either stop caring about our goals so much and relax, or some of us get so stressed out (divorce, hostile work environment, massive life change, grief etc) or find a motivator so great that we keep doing everything we have been but remain disciplined… In my observed opinion these scenarios and many more have led to people hitting their goals. My favorite client who worked out furiously (a-hole spouse, hostile work environment) got divorced, fired, took forced time off (staycation) and found a better job, worked out like the barbell didn’t owe her money and in the span of 6-8 months made more progress (strength gains, body recomposition,) she was absolutely glowing. Sometimes it just clicks into place. Maybe Mindy hit that spot in her life and everything clicked into place. I believe it’s possible to look and feel fantastic after losing a giant jerk in one’s life, eliminating sources of stress that keep us locked into our routines whether by chance or through unrelenting intent and finding home, work, life, health and spiritual balance. Before canceling someone else’s experience and dismissing it with ozempic/drug assistance. Let me tell you what ozempic doesn’t do- you don’t lose on ozempic without the tell tale sagging skin. Miss Kaling has the muscle tone and smug expression of a person who is very satisfied because not only are they wealthy, they put in the hard work, enhanced it with cosmetic procedures but they look proud of their achieved results. I know that look because I see it on people’s faces a lot. I get paid to put it there.
Very true, especially cutting out toxic forces.
I was prepared to be skeptical about this, but running or hiking 20 miles a week is 3 miles a day 6x a week. That’s not nothing. If she’s doing that, plus weights, and is being smart with her diet, I could see that working. I think if she wasn’t ever doing that before, it could for sure lead to these results. I do wish if she WAS getting help in some other way that she would say that. Otherwise it contributes to unrealistic expectations.
I was slim and pretty fit my whole life, but after having two kids and some stressors I packed on more weight than I was comfortable with. When my youngest was 4, I’d had enough, and started going to bootcamp. I got up to 4-5x a week, and also started tracking my diet and making better choices. I lost 25 pounds in a little less than a year, during COVID lockdowns. And I’ve kept about 20 of it off for the past few years sticking to 3-5 workouts and somewhat careful eating.
The one thing I am a little concerned about here is she sounds fixated on the 20 mile number, like it’s a struggle to fit it in so she’s constantly thinking about exercise. I hope she feels good and healthy, and that this is a sustainable lifestyle for her. I think that’s really what helped me. Finding a routine I enjoy.
I don’t know how much she’s lost but it struck me how much prettier she is now. Makes a huge difference in her look now she has cheekbones. And I thought she was pretty before don’t get me wrong. After being in Hollywood all those years around all those skinny people and being normal sized it must feel amazing for her now. Now I’ve finally got some incentive to lose weight myself.
oh she has for sure touched her face, no question
Yikes. I think pretty is in the eye of the beholder. She looks a lot more like everyone else around her now. Is that better?
There was tons of gossip about her being on Ozempic, and I buy it. Mindy is a tricky one for me because she positioned herself as an every woman re:weight but time and time again went out of her way to correct people and say she was a size 8. Like the writer, I can’t say for sure, but she always looked more like a 10 or 12 to me.
So I got the impression that she wanted support for being chubbier than Hollywood girls but not to ever be seen as plus size. She wanted to beyond criticism in every direction.
If she’s healthy, good for her. My personal issue with this is overall her fashion has gotten so much worse!! She used to wear bold colors and patterns and tons of fun and flattering silhouettes. Now it’s boring but does show off her thinness? But size does not dictate style.
I also think she’s probably on Ozempic, but I believe it’s possible she was a size 8 when she claimed it because IMO it is underestimated how much the camera can change how someone looks. I always heard “the camera adds ten pounds,” but I never realized how drastic it could be until I saw Jennifer Aniston IRL once during the Friends era and my first thought was that she looked like she must literally have to shop in the children’s section. I was genuinely shocked, and she was someone I *expected* to be tiny. She didn’t look like a size 0 (or 00, whatever that is!), and if she was wearing a size 0, it looked like she absolutely must have had it taken in to make it fit her. So I can believe Mindy about the size issue. (Plus, sizing is so all over the place anyway; it could depend on the brands she tended to wear.)
I’m just glad that Mindy didn’t claim she lost the weight not by making any changes in diet or exercise but by “chasing after her kids” because so many celebrities say that after they have children and it is SUCH utter nonsense. Most women “chase after” their kids and many still struggle to lose pregnancy weight, sometimes for decades. And they don’t have access to private chefs, home gyms, doctors who make house calls, etc.
Isn’t there (or at least wasn’t there, a few months ago?) a shortage of Ozempic that affected the people who actually needed it for health reasons because so many celebs were taking it to lose weight? IDK the details, but IMO that’s definitely a factor that could make Mindy — or anyone — too embarrassed to disclose that they’re taking it. I’ve never taken it, but I remember at the time I heard that on the news thinking that I’d be so ashamed if I was taking it for weight loss and someone who genuinely needed it to manage diabetes couldn’t get it, and as a result their health was suffering. That could be part of why a lot of celebrities are so secretive about it?
I’m really intrigued by all of the experts in these comments who are absolutely certain that Mindy is on Ozempic because she *checks notes* visibly lost weight. Sure, maybe she took Ozempic. But it’s also possible that she’s never been a person who was into physical fitness or eating healthy, discovered it later, started exercising and watching her diet, and finally got results. It’s nutrition/science that when you work out more and live in a caloric deficit, you will lose weight absent some kind of medical issue. All of these accusations that she’s using a drug and the subsequent judgments about her body are really off-putting.
ALL OF THIS.
Cause she said so in her own two memoirs! That’s why. I read all of her essays, memoirs, etc. she flat out has been eating healthy and working out for years. One of her major frustrations which was relatable to a ton of women out there was that it didn’t move the needle on her weight.
Well, now it did! Maybe she finally figured out a balance of exercise and healthful eating that we can now see in her visible weight loss. The immediate “it must be Ozempic!” conversation is just off-putting to me.
It’s not triggering to me at all whether or not she used Ozempic, it’s her life. I personally would never take a diet drug of any kind or plastic surgery because of the very real risk factors. You almost always find out later that a miracle drug is bad. You only get one body, one set of organs, one vessel in this short and fragile life.
Well, it also seems to me that Ozempic is not a long-term solution for weight loss. What are you going to do–keeping taking Ozempic until you’re dead? Not sustainable.
I don’t know. Seeing yet another photo with that loser whatshisface makes me think she’s still hoping he’ll suddenly be super into her. I hope she’s doing this for herself. She definitely radiates more confidence though.
I’m ashamed to admit I had the same thought when I saw the photo of BJ Novak. Their dynamic has always seemed so unhealthy, and it seems that way because he comes across as a real asshole w/r/t his relationship with Mindy. And while I completely recognize that it is absolutely NONE OF MY BUSINESS, I’m still dying to know if the rumors about him being the father of her kids are true.
I haven’t followed her much and I never watched the office. I don’t find her weight or physical features dramatically shocking but perhaps I’d have to google what she used to look like. I have read on CB about BJ Novak and he just seems toxic for her. I think he’s the reason she doesn’t make space in her life for true love that is reciprocated.
She looks great good for her. I checked out the swimsuits and they are cute. I’ve had to lose weight this spring. My Dr. was happy to prescribe Wegovy but if insurance doesn’t cover it then it’s too expensive for me. Anyway, since March 1 I’m down 20 lb.’s with a calorie deficit diet, so it is possible. I have at different times in my life walked 20-25 miles per week, it didn’t seem to affect my weight, but it did wonders for my mood and I’m sure other health benefits.
Nothing makes people lose their g*ddamn minds more than a woman stepping out of her “station.” Overweight woman gets svelte. Black woman marries into royal family. Poor woman achieves wealth. Mindy lost weight. No one outside of Mindy knows how or by what methods, and even when she is sharing using actual words that are easily understood, the methods she used to lose weight, some people insist on disbelieving her own life and words and experience. How interesting. Where have we heard this before? All this Ozempic speculation is just plain asinine and cruel. I was always known as the “chubby” friend, not because I was trying to represent a different body standard, but because I was being abused, and food was my way of dealing with things at that time. When I lost weight, no one lost their mind more than jealous women frenemies who accused me of being anorexic or bulimic, despite that I lost weight through healthy eating and exercise. But nothing could convince them. They were so angry that I was no longer in my “station,” that they simply became abusive over my weight loss. So many of these comments are quite revealing of people’s own issues. Some of y’all act like Mindy had a contract with you to represent your size in the media.
I’m sorry you went through that and good for you for rising above it. I think this happens when people make any number of changes. I noticed it when I drastically scaled back my alcohol use and a few friends (who I made through drinking), wanted me to stay in party mode. Any time you level up, basically, there will be nay sayers. It also happened when I got married or into any serious relationship really. Friends who were used to having my full attention didn’t like my shift in priorities.
I have no desire to go out anymore or do anything hyper social, my fitness is purely out of health motivation not weight. 🙃 I think it’s all part of growing up and maturing out of the things that hold us back.
We’re seeing that dynamic on steroids right now with Harry! Everyone in his life is mad that he didn’t stay the eternal bachelor, the “party prince” who existed solely to make THEIR lives easier or more fun. Even people who he thought were his true friends were unhappy when he met the love of his life, settled down, and had a family with her. Because he didn’t go out drinking with them as much or whatever. Losers.
That said, IMO the reason people are reacting this way about Mindy in particular is because IIRC, she was one of the first people to be rumored to be taking Ozempic, an early adopter; I think that’s how I first heard of it? So I guess some people feel like by not admitting it, she’s being deceitful? I’ve always loved her, and coveted her wardrobe back when she was on The Mindy Project, and think she actually looked better when she was a little bigger, but she seems really happy now, so 🤷🏻♀️
Harry IS a good example of this for the world to see. People wanted him to stay a certain way, typecast, scapegoated or whatever you want to call it. Most people who marry and are serious about their partners, or just plain in love with their partners end up making a few life changes. As a couple, you develop your value systems and decide together. You simply cannot put other people first if the relationship is going to work. I think marriage provides a certain status where people who, perhaps, were used to interfering in your life are no longer allowed to. And sometimes they end up resenting that.
There’s a pretty viral video on IG right now that purports People staffers were “livid” over the “lying by omission” in the story (aka that Mindy attributed her weight loss solely to healthy eating an exercise). And yes, there are tons of blinds about her purported Ozempic usage, so I generally find her claims to be suspect, at best.
Which yes, technically, is none of our business! What’s irking me about this specific situation is that this article glorifying her weight loss is all in service of one thing: sales. Specifically, bathing suit sales. On the one hand, it’s awesome Mindy feels confident enough now to pose in and hawk swimsuits. On the other, I think it’s indisputably icky that she (and her team? Hollywood?) waited until she became skinny to brand her as a swimsuit ambassador. It obviously sends a shitty message to the public (that this immensely talented, successful woman who has been famous for MANY years only became viable as a swimsuit enterprenuer because now she’s “finally” thin). It also sends a shitty message to Mindy (you can sell swimsuits now that you’re skinny!).
And IF the Ozempic rumors are true, then honestly it DOES kind of become our business to know how she actually lost weight, because she’s trying to make a profit off of us by tying her product to her weight loss journey, and her means of achieving it!
So yeah, this is all just a sad reminder that skinny culture never really went away, and the pressure to conform can absolutely break down even the most successful, intelligent, beautiful “body positive” public figures.
Mindy lies to herself a lot. She is always explaining and clarifying. but no one asked her. She talks about these things, she brings it up.
She should’ve kept it just about the swimsuits.
Mindy looks really nice in that marigold color, and that is not an easy color to wear.
Also I’m not sure that I believe Ozempic didn’t assist in her weight loss. But whatever, as long as she’s happy & healthy.
That yellow suit looks great on her. It’s Hollywood peeps…they do whatever it takes. Maybe that’s Ozempic maybe it’s calorie restrictions and diet. In any case she looks really fit and happy. I wish her well
That gold dress is killer! She looks amazing in it. Good for her for realizing her fitness goals. She is aspirational for me since I have yet to do that.
So, she’s going to leave out the Ozempic?
It is so sad we can’t let people live their own !ives. Stop treating celebrities differently than a friend and neighbor. I lost 50 lbs at onset of COVID by simply moving more and eating less. No drugs, no diets. Why can’t we take Mindy at her word?
I think I’m finally experiencing the metabolism slowdown. I used to just cut back on my eating and the weight came off. Not so much anymore. Tbh I think more about shortcuts but I probably won’t do any besides the normal diet and exercise. But i can certainly understand why some would want to take the shortcuts. It’s so hard to lose weight and bring considered “big” or “fat is demoralizing. When dating i can always tell the guys who think I’m too fat without them saying a word. But when they start talking about exercise or how they eat healthy it’s even more annoying. You just don’t feel as attractive.
It’s been said above – but worth repeating – running 20 miles or so a week and lifting is great for your health, but an appearance change like hers is all diet driven. I know of what I speak – having lost more than 50 pounds and having committed years ago to **much more** than 20 miles a week of cardio – that it’s **diet** that drops the pounds. Exercise is critical for health, but weight loss is 80% driven by changing and reducing what you put in your mouth.
I have always loved Mindy’s work as a writer. She’s frickin hilarious. Good for her for feeling beautiful and enjoying the way she looks.
She’s everywhere lately, I wonder if she wants to be seen more after losing all this weight ? I fear she was not seen as much previously because she feared being fat shamed? That industry can be awful
I loved that she seemed confident before without the tiny tiny body women in that field are expected to have. I hope she did this healthy but I fear it wasnt
Sorry Mindy we just don’t believe you. You wanted to be skinny so bad that you’d do anything to get it.