From The Office To The Gym: Mindy Kaling’s Weight Loss Journey Explained

Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling has always been open about her weight loss journey. She has had different quotes over the years. But now, she says, “I eat what I like to eat, but less of it”. The topic of Mindy Kaling’s weight loss came after the famous actress appeared in a stunning Vera Wang dress at the 2023 Oscars.

The Mindy Project star showed her remarkable transformation on the red carpet. Her abs-baring dress showed a fabulous new figure. Fun fact: Back in 2011, in her memoir, she said, “she would be chubby for life because she has no hobbies except dieting and no discipline”. But how things have changed.

How she got there? What can you copy from her weight loss experience? Let’s take a look.

Getting To Know The Popular Actress

Who is Mindy Kaling? Born Vera Mindy Chokalingam, she is an American actress, writer, comedian, and producer. Mindy is famous for her role as Kelly Kapoor in the television series The Office. She also created, produced, and starred in her show The Mindy Project.

Mindy is a talented actress and producer. Her relatable and funny characters make her a fan favorite. The American actress has a quick wit and a sense of humor. She is also a trailblazer in the entertainment industry.

Mindy is one of the few women of color who have created and produced their own TV show.

Generally speaking, her humor, talent, influence, and relatable personality have contributed to her huge success.

Mindy Kaling before weight loss
Photo: pinterest.com

Making An Entrance At The Oscars

At the 2023 Academy Award’s red carpet, Mindy made a fabulous entrance wearing a custom Vera Wang dress. And then, for the show, she switched it up for a daring black version of the same dress.

The Office star wore a white custom gown on the red carpet but switched it for a daring black during the show.

Both designs featured a plunging neckline with a bustier-like top, as well as a cutout corset bodice and a slick-straight bottom half.

And then, she completed the look with statement diamond earrings and slick-backed hair. Following the event, Mindy said this about her look, “Last night was a fashion dream for me. I was so honored to wear Vera Wang, an icon and an inspiration to so many people, particularly Asian Americans”.

Speaking about why she had a black and white version, she said, Vera told her, “They embody her fascination with the duality of both. It’s the eternal attraction of opposites. It also conveys the modernity and sophistication and purity of both colors”.

The American actress also joked, saying, “Who knows if I am ever getting married, I am wearing as many Vera Wang gowns as I can”.

Mindy’s Weight Loss Journey

Now let’s talk about the whole Mindy Kaling weight loss experience and journey. She discussed her diet with Entertainment Weekly, saying “Honestly, I didn’t really do anything differently. I eat what I like to eat. If I do any kind of restrictive diet, it never really works for me. I just eat less of it”.

She also said that she will never stop being a foodie, yet, she has learned to make small changes to her diet. Also, she stopped thinking of exercise as a form of punishment.

Mindy said, “I am never going to be someone who can just have spinach and salmon every day. I just am really for the first time in my life, trying moderation, and I love it”.

Speaking about her new approach, the famous actress said, “Sometimes I’ll be like, Well, I have four different times today where I have ten minutes so let’s just walk instead of sitting down and checking Instagram”.

In other words, instead of being one big chunk of exercise at the beginning of the day or none at all, she is being an active person all the time.

She loves mixing up her routine with jogging, walking, yoga, pilates, strength training, and more. Mindy said, “Surprising the body with lots of different things I think is really good, particularly for my body”.

Mindy Kaling after losing weight
Photo: instagram.com

What Has Mindy Said About Losing Weight Over The Years?

Fans that know Mindy for a while, remember some of her quotes about losing weight. The comedian first came to the limelight by portraying Kelly Kapoor, an amazing character in the TV series The Office.

During the fifth season of the show, she tried the Beyonce diet, replacing meals with a cleanse that consisted of lemons, water, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper.

In 2011, she said, “We always think of a diet with a big groan. But I think diets are fun. I think it is an American pastime for a lot of women. I don’t know. I think that Kelly thinks of dieting as a fun hobby to have”.

But probably the lemon diet didn’t work out for her. In the same year, she released her first book and memoir, titled Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me. In the book, she wrote, “she would eat exactly half of what was put in front of me, and no dessert”.

She created the makeshift diet formula in high school after one classmate told her she would be really pretty if she lost weight. She wrote, “Without exercising, I lost thirty pounds in about two months. I remember waking up in the morning and looking down at my fingers and seeing they had shrunk overnight. Suddenly I was freezing all the time, like those skinny girls in movie theaters are always complaining about, and needed to sleep with an extra wool blanket. My face thinned out, and my belly went away. … I thought [my bully] Duante would finally leave me alone, but he didn’t.”

She remained at normal weight until college when she gained 35 pounds during her freshman year. She dropped it by adding exercise into her life but declared that “she would be chubby for life because of four reasons, she had no hobbies except dieting, she has no discipline, she’s pretty happy with the way she looks, and men she’s dated have been into her the way she is”.

And her new approach to wellness now comes after she navigated losing baby weight twice. In 2017, she welcomed her daughter Katherine Kaling. Then in 2020, she welcomed her son Spencer Kaling.

How To Try The Less Is More Weight Loss Approach?

Now let’s talk about Mindy’s approach to weight loss, and how you can copy it. Does the less is more approach work? Well, judging by Mindy, it does. Based on the idea that small and sustainable changes to your lifestyle can have a big impact on overall health, you do not focus on making drastic changes or quick fixes.

The approach emphasizes making small changes over time that are manageable and easy to maintain. Here are some ideas you can try:

  • Start by making small changes, instead of cutting out entire food groups or drastically reducing calorie intake, make small swaps like whole grains instead of refined grains. Instead of fatty products, get low-fat dairy products
  • Build up your exercise routine gradually. You do not have to run a marathon or do an intense workout every day, start by adding a few minutes of exercise into your daily routine. Take a short walk after dinner
  • Practice mindful eating and pay attention to your hunger and fullness cues. Sometimes, a glass of water will help you cut out hunger
  • Focus on lifestyle changes, not diet and exercise. Get enough sleep, reduce stress, and avoid smoking and drinking alcohol

Making small and sustainable changes can help you gradually build up healthy eating habits that result in long-term weight loss and a healthier lifestyle.

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I am a mother, wife, daughter, granddaughter, writer, living in Virginia Beach. I love creativity, ideas, crafts, arts, photography, movies, food, coffee, naps, outdoors. I love to make stuff!