Mindy Kaling Shares Advice on Weight Loss to Younger Self

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Never has Mindy Kaling ever wished she could share wisdom like this.

The former star of *The Office* recently shared the most important wellness lesson she wishes she’d known earlier, and it was a powerful message.

In a TikTok video posted on October 17th, Mindy, 46, shared advice with her younger self: “Don’t focus so much on your weight.” She told Shop Today that she wished she hadn’t worried about the scale so much when she was younger.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve noticed the creator of *Never Have I Ever* looking fantastic lately, and it’s so refreshing to hear her talk about her weight loss journey. It’s not about quick fixes or a number on the scale for her – it’s genuinely about prioritizing her overall health and well-being, which is a message I always love to promote!

In 2022, she told *People* magazine that she’s been focusing on health rather than weight loss for appearance’s sake. For her, being healthy means staying active, drinking plenty of water, and enjoying exercise without feeling guilty or like she needs to punish herself if she misses a workout.

Oh my gosh, Mindy just *shared* that her babies – sweet Katherine, who’s seven, little Spencer who’s five, and the absolute *cutest* Anne, who’s barely nineteen months – have totally flipped her whole approach to getting fit! It’s like, before them, fitness was one thing, but now? Everything’s different. She said they’ve ‘completely changed the way’ she thinks about it, and honestly, it’s the sweetest thing ever!

I used to think being fit meant hitting specific numbers – like running a seven-minute mile and following a strict diet – but I’ve learned that there’s no single definition of fitness. It took me a while to understand that people can be fit in many different ways, as I told TopMob News in 2022.

Mindy draws on her own experiences as a child to teach her kids the importance of staying active.

She explained that her parents hadn’t prioritized fitness growing up, as they were focused on building a life for themselves after immigrating. They were busy establishing their careers and didn’t focus much on their own health or exercise.

Mindy shared that she’s happy to let her kids see that side of her life, especially when she’s doing yoga. She loves that her daughter even joins her and stretches along with her.

Read on to see what else Mindy has said about being a mom to her kids. 

Mindy realized she would be a single mother after her daughter’s Mundan, a Hindu ceremony where a baby’s head is shaved to symbolize letting go of past-life negativity. She explains that the ceremony brought on a wave of emotion, realizing her daughter would never know her beloved grandmother. It also hit her that she would be navigating motherhood and raising her daughter completely on her own, without her mother’s support, which was a frightening prospect.

The actress finds comfort in the Hindu traditions she grew up with, and plans to raise her daughter similarly. She explains that this connection to her heritage—and to others who share it, even across great distances—is deeply important to her. She and her partner, Kit, believe embracing these traditions will ensure they always feel a sense of belonging and are never truly alone.

When Mindy found out she was pregnant, she initially believed she could handle raising her child, Kit, independently, just like her own parents had raised her. She explains that she reasoned, ‘If my mom could manage it all without even a complaint, why couldn’t I?’

The actress suddenly realized she was on her own when it came to new motherhood, missing her mother’s guidance on things like breastfeeding, which turned out to be harder than she expected. Following a friend’s suggestion, she hired a baby nurse named Rose, and it was a decision she was incredibly grateful for. “I didn’t have my mom there, but I had Rose,” Mindy remembers. “She was full of helpful advice, and I really valued it.” Rose helped Mindy manage her anxieties and fears, providing the support she desperately needed. “I was more scared than I’d ever been, and Rose kept those fears at bay. She stepped in as a mother figure when I needed one, even though it wasn’t part of her job.”

Mindy loved having Rose in her life so much that she jokingly told the baby nurse she might have another child just so Rose could come live with them again.

The star of *The Mindy Project* is always upfront about her dating life, even when she’s single.

Mindy only feels aware of being single when others mention it. She’s noticed that married moms sometimes jokingly pretend they wish they were single, seemingly to reassure her that being a single parent isn’t so bad.

Mindy admits dating can be tricky. She explains it’s a mix of emotions – sometimes incredibly freeing and wonderful, and other times she’s simply thankful for her independence and the freedom to live life on her own terms, which can be deeply moving.

She acknowledges she sometimes desires a husband, especially when she’s by herself at parties, needs help with everyday tasks, encounters fatherhood in children’s books, wants to share a treat, witnesses her child’s accomplishments, or finds herself thinking about getting engaged.

On the bright side of things, there are many reasons The Office star is pleased to be single. 

As a lifestyle expert, one of the biggest benefits I’ve found in solo parenting is the sheer time it saves. Seriously, it’s amazing! I don’t have to discuss or justify my parenting choices with anyone. Whether a decision is great or not, I can just make it and keep things moving. It frees up so much mental and emotional energy – and time – in my day.

There are also some perks: she gets to choose her own partners and set her own terms, avoid family drama, always be the driver, have both nightstands all to herself, and control the TV – so she never has to watch anything she doesn’t enjoy.

Mindy jokingly said she was “nailing” her pregnancy in the months leading up to Katherine’s birth, adding that she hadn’t been so productive since her school days.

She carefully followed all of her doctor’s advice and even managed to lose weight by eating a healthier diet. She jokingly recalls how she used to hate kale, but found herself eating it regularly, feeling like a health food blogger. She was equally committed to staying hydrated, playfully claiming to be the most hydrated pregnant woman ever.

The second and third trimesters of her pregnancy were generally smooth sailing. The only issue was a strange five-day stretch where she couldn’t urinate, but thankfully, it resolved on its own.

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2025-10-18 03:48