Mina Starsiak Hawk's Honest Body Transformation: From Plastic Surgery To Weight Loss
Since 2016, Mina Starsiak Hawk has starred on HGTV's "Good Bones." The series follows Starsiak Hawk and her mother, Karen Laine, as they take old, dilapidated homes in Indianapolis and flip them into modern marvels. Unsurprisingly, "Good Bones" has been a ratings hit for the network and has made Starsiak Hawk extremely popular on social media.
In 2021, Starsiak Hawk made news unrelated to home renovations and DIY projects when she revealed on Instagram that she had gone under the knife for a series of procedures, including a tummy tuck and liposuction. Starsiak Hawk's surgeries came not long after the September 2020 birth of her second child with husband Steve Hawk, Charlotte Hawk. Her first child, a son named Jack Hawk, was born in 2018. Starsiak Hawk has been honest about getting plastic surgery after having two kids.
Speaking to Parade about making this decision, the HGTV personality said, "There are so many ways you can go about trying to get back to how you feel like yourself, and for me, the best and the right path was with surgery." She added, "I think as women, we feel like if we have to struggle for it, then we're allowed to have it. Like, it can't just be easy. Not that surgery was easy, but it gets perceived as the easy way out." Besides aesthetic reasons, Starsiak Hawk has said that her career as a home renovator also contributed to getting plastic surgery.
Mina Starsiak Hawk developed diastasis recti during her second pregnancy
While pregnant with her daughter Charlotte, Mina Starsiak Hawk told fans on Instagram that she had diastasis recti. Cleveland Clinic states that diastasis recti is when the stomach muscles separate, causing an individual's stomach to bulge out. As Starsiak Hawk wrote on Instagram (via House Beautiful), "Instead of being like a smooth circle for my belly, it's kind of like a triangle." Starsiak Hawk told People that after her daughter's birth, her ab muscles had separated more than four inches, which ultimately was a catalyst for getting plastic surgery.
She explained (via People), "I do a very physical job and I like working out, and your core is so attached to everything, every movement I do, like swinging a hammer." Starsiak Hawk added, "And I just didn't feel like I was going to be able to work out and get this back to where I felt strong, like myself, like I did before kids." On Instagram, Starsiak Hawk showed off what her body looked like when she had diastasis recti and the drastic change her body underwent after surgery.
Details of Mina Starsiak Hawk's mommy makeover
Mina Starsiak Hawk traveled to Toledo, Ohio, for her procedures in December 2020. She told People that she wanted to repair her diastasis recti and get rid of her C-section scar. Weeks after her surgery, Starsiak Hawk went on Instagram and discussed the work she had done. She revealed, "I had my stomach muscles repaired along with a tummy tuck. I had lipo and they took some of that fat and put it in this odd dent I have in my butt, lol. I wanted a lift, but got small implants instead, bc after talking to my doctor, that was what would give me the results."
According to People, the surgery took five hours, and in February 2023, Starsia Hawk posted old photos on Instagram of what she looked like before and after surgery. Speaking to People in 2021, Starsiak Hawk explained to the publication why she has publicly discussed her plastic surgery journey with fans.
She said, "I don't want to post a family picture on our vacation a year from now and have people think, 'Oh my gosh, if I just work hard enough, I can have abs like that.' Because no one tells you, 'I had surgery to do this; my stomach would never look this flat, no matter how much I starved myself, no matter how many crunches I did.'" Since getting her mommy makeover, Starsiak Hawk doesn't plan on having more kids.
Mina Starsiak Hawk on her experience with plastic surgery
While Mina Starsiak Hawk claims she isn't a supermom, her intense recovery after plastic surgery proves otherwise. Recuperation takes months and in her interview with People, Starsiak Hawk recalled the immediate aftermath of her procedures and said that she had drainage bags and could not stand because of the tummy tuck.
Starsiak Hawk later revealed on Instagram, "The first two days I thought I was going to die." Moreover, Starsiak Hawk told People that she was hesitant about getting plastic surgery in the first place, citing mom guilt as the reason.
But it appears these feelings quickly dissipated after getting the surgery, with Starsiak Hawk writing on Instagram, "I don't feel like I have a new body; I feel like I am myself again & I feel strong." However, Starsiak Hawk has made it clear to fans on social media that her new post-baby body is a combination of plastic surgery and exercise.
Her husband is her personal trainer
In an article for Indy's Child, Mina Starsiak Hawk discussed her fitness journey and disclosed that doing cardio did not help her get desired results. She explained that her husband, Steve Hawk, encouraged her to start lifting weights, which resulted in him becoming her trainer. According to Steve's website, he has been a certified personal trainer and nutritionist since 2021 and has his own company called HawkFit.
Speaking about what weightlifting did for her, she wrote, "Not only could I FEEL the results, I was starting to SEE them. My clothes all fit, which is huge. Getting dressed each morning was on autopilot, where before it had been a battle that often ended in frustration and tears. And that was enough for me. I was sold. Steve was right."
Starsiak Hawk noted that this, along with her plastic surgery, has helped her feel "incredible." However, she also said that she did not care about how much she weighed and that her goal was to strengthen her body.
The HGTV star flaunts her figure on social media
Mina Starsiak Hawk works hard for her body and isn't shy about showing it off on her Instagram. She's posted bikini photos and various videos of herself trying on outfits. While Starsiak Hawk told People that she's received praise for discussing plastic surgery and weight loss, not everyone shares this sentiment. In 2022, an individual called Starsiak Hawk out about getting surgery. In response, Starsiak Hawk put the DM on her Instagram Story and advised the person to be nicer, per People.
In 2023, Starsiak Hawk spoke at length about her plastic surgery with her plastic surgeon, Dr. Peter Koltz, in the second episode of her podcast "Mina Af." Discussing the episode on her Instagram, she addressed the negative feedback she's received about her surgery and weight loss, writing, "Yes, I worked my tail off to feel strong again, and how I wanted to feel. But even if I hadn't, even if I had a dozen surgeries and it came EASY.... Who cares??! (Surgery is far from easy btw)." She also encouraged her fans to ask her for more information about her body transformation.