Incredible Before and After Photos of 'Mike and Molly' Star Billy Gardell's 150+ Pound Weight Loss!

We watched Billy Gardell shine alongside Melissa McCarthy as co-stars in the revered sitcom Mike & Molly, but today, he's being recognized for something other than his comedic timing and acting prowess — his dramatic weight loss and dedication to regaining his health.

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From 2010 to 2016, Billy Gardell brought to life the character of Mike Biggs, a Chicago police officer who attends an Overeaters Anonymous meeting and gets to know Molly, an elementary school teacher played by Melissa McCarthy. The two eventually form a relationship and the show went on to be a major hit.

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Today, the 54-year-old actor can be seen on the sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola, in which his character of Bob falls for his Nigerian cardiac nurse while in recovery from a heart attack.

While the health of his on-screen character in this particular series was at risk, Billy Gardell did all in his power to make sure this was nothing but fiction when he decided to proceed with bariatric surgery in 2022. Now, the comedian and actor is proud of his 150+ pound slim-down.

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Billy Gardell talks his weight loss journey

For Gardell, weight loss was never a simple task. In a recent interview with PEOPLE, the actor revealed that he was stuck in a never ending cycle of losing and gaining weight.

"My cycle was lose 30 lbs., gain 35 lbs., lose 30 lbs., gain 35 lbs., which is a yo-yo I think for a lot of people, even on a smaller scale, that seems to be the thing,” he shared.

Gardell had been considering bariatric surgery, but he knew there was a lot more to it once it was all said and done. However, taking stock of where he was at in his life pushed him to make the ultimate decision for his health.

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“I chickened out from it a couple times, but at some point you get sick and tired of being sick and tired,” he further revealed to PEOPLE. “I was so big that I was at the point where it hurt to exercise. Then I developed type 2 diabetes, and I went on a drug for that for about a year and a half. And then I said, ‘Do I really want to be on a drug the rest of my life?’”

Making the big decision — for both himself and his family

The state of his health coupled with the strong desire he felt to be there for his family motivated him to make a change in his life — one that would ultimately improve the quality of it in the years to come.

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“The idea of not being here for my wife or my kid motivated my change, motivated me into I will commit to whatever it takes to get healthy,” he admitted.

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Billy Gardell shared his thought process when it came to making this choice for the future of both he and his family

"I've been an example in a lot of good ways for my child, but 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."

And change he most certainly did!

Billy Gardell today

Losing over 150 pounds since he began his weight loss journey, Billy Gardell now weighs in at around 205 and 210 pounds, is no longer a Type 2 diabetic and has a resting heart rate of 68 as opposed to the previous 113.

As for adjusting to his new body, Billy Gardell's main grievances are with his new wardrobe: "The ankles are too tight," he joked to ET about his new pants he's had to get used to. "I don't want to do yoga to get out of my pants."

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As for the effect it's had on his career, Gardell gives credit to the makeup and wardrobe department on Bob Hearts Abishola for keeping him looking good and confident on screen.

"The true people that were tortured here was my wardrobe guy and my makeup people because I kept getting smaller and they kept having to go buy shirts, tape them up, you know," he told ET.

"At one point we were taping my neck because my skin hadn't adjusted yet and stuff, so God bless them. They got me through it. They made me look good all the way through. And it was a nice progression to have the audience watch in real time."

Billy Gardell has a new outlook after his weight loss

To maintain his recent change, Gardell eats healthy and keeps active, while still allowing indulgences and cheat meals here and there.

While the journey hasn't been easy, Gardell realized that negative self-talk isn't helpful. He tells PEOPLE, “You got to look in the mirror and go, ‘All right, I love you and I'm going to take care of you today.’ And that's a hard thing to get to until you evolve emotionally. And I think that happened for me.”