Mindy Kaling, best known for her role in The Mindy Project, showcased her stunning transformation at the 2023 Met Gala, embracing a bold fashion choice and flaunting her slim figure.
The 43-year-old actress donned an off-white Jonathan Simkhai dress with a fitted corset bodice and shimmering detail at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday, May 1. The evening's theme was "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty."
Mindy styled her hair in a sleek low ponytail, adding length to her typically shorter locks. "Simkhai and his LA-based team of ateliers are perfectionists," she told Marie Claire. "I feel so confident in the gown."
Mindy also teased a second look by the same designer for an afterparty, hinting that her outfit would be "flirty and shorter, but still very on-theme."
She attended the "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" fundraiser in May 2022 wearing a bright lilac Prabal Gurung gown, featuring a plunging neckline, thigh-high slit, and purple floral embellishments on the shoulders. She accessorized with matching silk pumps and diamond jewelry.
The creator of The Sex Lives of College Girls has been a frequent Met Gala guest since making her debut in 2013, wearing a custom Lela Rose dress. She discussed the prestigious event during a September 2022 conversation on Meghan Markle's "Archetypes" podcast.
Mindy recalled feeling like a "fraud" during her first Met Gala experience, admitting she was unaware of certain unspoken protocols, such as staying uptown near the Met and using a standing van to avoid wrinkling her dress.
She attended her first Met Gala with her best friend, B.J. Novak, and expressed her desire to make a good impression on Anna Wintour.
The Emmy nominee's return to the soirée demonstrated her newfound expertise and highlighted her weight transformation. Kaling has been open about her wellness journey, especially since becoming a mother to daughter Katherine and son Spencer in 2017 and 2020, respectively.
In May 2021, she told Self that she had learned to embrace her body, emphasizing that one doesn't need a "hard body" or a "six-pack" to be considered fit.
Nearly a year later, Kaling revealed her secret to slimming down to Entertainment Tonight, explaining that she eats what she likes but in smaller portions, as restrictive diets have never worked for her.
“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."
And speaking to Today last May, Mindy revealed that while she is "never going to stop being a foodie", she has learned to make changes to her diet and stop thinking of exercise as a "punishment".
She now embraces moderation and indulges in her love for food without any guilt. She also mentioned that she no longer views exercise as a punishment, instead opting to incorporate it into her daily routine.
"I'm 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," she explained.
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This new approach to health and wellness was prompted by her experience of losing baby weight following the births of her children, Katherine in 2017 and Spencer in 2020.
Fans of the actress were first introduced to her through her character Kelly Kapoor on the hit show The Office, which premiered in 2005. Besides her on-screen appearances, Kaling was also part of the writing team for the series.
In a memorable episode from the show's fifth season, Mindy's character Kelly tries out a Beyoncé-inspired diet, swapping meals for a concoction of lemons, cayenne pepper, water, and maple syrup.
Mindy discussed this storyline during a 2011 NPR interview, where she talked about how dieting is often seen as an enjoyable hobby by many American women, including her character Kelly: "We always think of a diet with a big groan," she said. "But I think diets are fun. I think it is an American pastime for a lot of women."
That same year, Mindy published her first book, "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" In this heartfelt memoir, the author shared her experiences with weight loss and body image, including a homemade diet plan she devised in high school.
This plan involved consuming only half of her regular portions and avoiding desserts. Mindy dropped 30 pounds within two months, but despite this transformation, her high school bully continued to torment her.
She later gained 35 pounds during her freshman year in college but managed to shed the weight by incorporating exercise into her lifestyle.
Mindy also spoke to People about her transformation and said: "I've tried really hard to let go of this idea of losing weight for vanity reasons and really trying to think of how I can be healthy.
"Healthy is working out, moving my body a lot, keeping hydrated, and then not having negative connotations around working out and making me feel like if I don't do this, then I won't be something else."
The mom-of-two added that she loves mixing up her routine with "jogging, walking, yoga, pilates, strength training, tai chi and more". She added: "Surprising the body with lots of different things I think is really good, particularly for my body."
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