Mindy Kaling Says She's the 'Healthiest' She's Been in 'Years' Thanks to Her 2 Kids

Mindy Kaling is opening up about how her kids motivated her to get in shape.

In an Instagram post on Saturday — the same day she turned 44 — The Mindy Project star shared a cute photo of her daughter Katherine "Kit" Swati, 5, and her son Spencer Avu, 2½, walking and pulling small suitcases behind her.

"I know I’m clearly materialistic but the best birthday gift to me, for the rest of my life, are these two guys. I was never a 'kid' person," she wrote in her caption. "When my mom passed though, it just clicked in me: I wanted kids with such intense certainty. I bet some of you can relate."

The Why Not Me? author said she's working hard to maintain an active lifestyle as a mom.

"Now I’m just trying to be present for them (hard for me! I’m impatient!), being up for anything (again hard for me, I am not whimsical!), and stay healthy for these two guys (ALSO hard! I just want to eat cheesesteaks every meal in front of the TV) for until I’m an old gray skeleton [and] they’re like, 'Mom, you gotta go,' " she continued.

Kaling went on to reveal what her doctor said about her health.

"My doctor told me that this year I was the healthiest I’ve been in years. That’s a pretty damn good gift, right?" she wrote. "I’m usually kind of low-level anxious, so I’m just gonna take one minute on my birthday to acknowledge that I am happy."

"Man, there are ups and downs in this life!! But my ups seem to be the most important ones right now," she continued. "Thanks for my birthday love. (Also maybe I will buy myself that trendy Dior bag that looks like a kidney bean)."

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Recently, the Never Have I Ever creator opened up to PEOPLE — ahead of the launch of her Mindy x Andie Swim Collection — about the "big commitment" she's made to her health and how it's made her more confident.

"I'm feeling really confident in my body these days, which is not something that I've been able to say for my whole life, unfortunately," she said. "I feel great."

"I know people are really interested in my body and the changes in my body, and I think it's flattering and sometimes it's just a little much, so I don't try to tune it in too much," she continued. "The truth is that I spend so much time and energy trying to be healthy."

As someone who loves going out to eat and trying new foods, the Ocean's 8 star says she's also been eating in moderation to maintain the results of her workouts.

"It's really a big commitment," she admitted, noting that fitting exercise into her busy schedule can be a challenge. "It's hard with two kids that I wake up really early and I fit it in — and I basically live in workout clothes so I can get it in, get an extra mile in."

She gives herself a goal to work toward. "I just tell myself I have to do basically 20 miles a week of either hiking or running. And so that's been incredibly helpful to me."