Mindy Kaling didn’t give into every jelly doughtnut craving when she was pregnant with her daughter, Katherine.
“Because I like to eat, and I’m not skinny to start with, I knew that if I gained a lot of weight during my pregnancy, things could just fly off the rails in a really bad way,” the 38-year-old revealed in the June issue of Shape magazine. “My doctor said that women who gain just 25 to 30 pounds usually have less trouble losing it after the baby is born. So I kept my weight gain to 27 pounds.”
The Mindy Project alum welcomed Katherine “Kit” in December 2017. She has not yet shared the identity of the baby’s father.
Though Kaling has her hands full with an infant and her NBC sitcom Champions — a show she cocreated, writes for and stars in —the actress squeezes in at least four workouts a week. To get the endorphins flowing, Kaling loves SoulCycle, yoga and the VersaClimber. She also works with a personal trainer.
“It’s such a powerful tool for me mentally. I know that working out is not the path for me to be skinny,” she mused. “For my body type, that entails eating well and making healthy choices.”
But Kaling refuses to give up her favorites including sushi and cocktails. She just enjoys those things in moderation. When the Wrinkle in Time star dines out, she orders what she really wants and just eats half. Explained Kaling: “I’ve come to terms with the fact that I don’t have to eat everything on there.”
The mom hopes to set a good example for Katherine. “I’m excited for my daughter to see me work out and to know that it’s a normal part of my life. I wasn’t raised that way, and I think when you don’t see that kind of thing as a kid, it’s really hard to pick up,” she told Shape. “I would love for her to learn at a young age that exercise is a great habit to have.”
