On February 25, Kevin Smith, 48, was rushed to the hospital with a 100% blockage of his left anterior descending artery, a critical condition also known as the “widow-maker.” The acclaimed filmmaker, who had always been heavyset, had already lost about 90 pounds prior to his heart attack, but his doctors told him he needed to lost more, and fast. And he listened.
I was trying to do a killer standup special this evening but I might’ve gone too far. After the first show, I felt kinda nauseous. I threw up a little but it didn’t seem to help. Then I started sweating buckets and my chest felt heavy. Turns out I had a massive heart attack. The Doctor who saved my life at the #glendale hospital told me I had 100% blockage of my LAD artery (also known as “the Widow-Maker” because when it goes, you’re a goner). If I hadn’t canceled the second show to go to the hospital, the Doc said I would’ve died tonight. For now, I’m still above ground! But this is what I learned about myself during this crisis: death was always the thing I was most terrified of in life. When the time came, I never imagined I’d ever be able to die with dignity – I assumed I’d die screaming, like my Dad (who lost his life to a massive heart attack). But even as they cut into my groin to slip a stent into the lethal Widow-Maker, I was filled with a sense of calm. I’ve had a great life: loved by parents who raised me to become the individual I am. I’ve had a weird, wonderful career in all sorts of media, amazing friends, the best wife in the world and an incredible daughter who made me a Dad. But as I stared into the infinite, I realized I was relatively content. Yes, I’d miss life as it moved on without me – and I was bummed we weren’t gonna get to make #jayandsilentbobreboot before I shuffled loose the mortal coil. But generally speaking, I was okay with the end, if this was gonna be it. I’ve gotten to do so many cool things and I’ve had so many adventures – how could I be shitty about finally paying the tab. But the good folks at the Glendale hospital had other plans and the expertise to mend me. Total strangers saved my life tonight (as well as my friends @jordanmonsanto & @iamemilydawn, who called the ambulance). This is all a part of my mythology now and I’m sure I’ll be facing some lifestyle changes (maybe it’s time to go Vegan). But the point of this post is to tell you that I faced my greatest fear tonight… and it wasn’t as bad as I’ve always imagined it’d be. I don’t want my life to end but if it ends, I can’t complain. It was such a gift. #KevinSmith
A post shared by Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith) on Feb 26, 2018 at 1:41am PST
On Sunday, Smith took to Instagram to celebrate his significantly slimmer new frame.
“This @weightwatchers Ambassador is thrilled to announce that I’VE LOST 51 POUNDS,” he wrote. “Six months ago from right now, I was in the hospital recovering from a heart attack I’d had the night before. When I went to my Doctor a week later, she told me “The best thing you can do for yourself now is to lose 50 pounds.” Half a year later, I can report that I followed Doctor’s orders: I started at 256 and now I weigh 205. This is the lightest I’ve been since high school!”
“My hope now is I can slowly lose another 10 with #weightwatchers and get down to my birth weight of 195!” he joked.
This @weightwatchers Ambassador is thrilled to announce that I’VE LOST 51 POUNDS! Six months ago from right now, I was in the hospital recovering from a heart attack I’d had the night before. When I went to my Doctor a week later, she told me “The best thing you can do for yourself now is to lose 50 pounds.” Half a year later, I can report that I followed Doctor’s orders: I started at 256 and now I weigh 205. This is the lightest I’ve been since high school! My hope now is I can slowly lose another 10 with #weightwatchers and get down to my birth weight of 195! But for now, I’m ecstatic to have reached this chunky milestone! I wanna thank #pennjillette for his book #presto, @raycronise for getting me started with his potato famine, and the good folks at #weightwatchers for their app-based program that made it easy to keep track of and control my eating! And I also wanna thank my kid @harleyquinnsmith – the little vegan astronaut who explored this meatless/milkless galaxy ahead of me, leading by example. Since I never wanted to see the inside of a hospital ever again, I simply copied the Kid. So this wasn’t a diet: these results came from a total lifestyle change of eating solely plant-based foods (which is tough because I hate vegetables). But mostly, I wanna thank all of you as well – for the kind and encouraging words along the way. Never underestimate the power of positive feedback: you folks telling me I looked better or healthier helped me stick with it. An encouraging word can really make a difference in someone’s life and your compliments kept me going! And just look where I went! #KevinSmith #WWambassador #WWFreestyle #WWFamily #WWBros #weightlosstransformation #weightloss #WWCommunity #ad *People following the Weight Watchers program can expect to lose 1-2lbs per week.
A post shared by Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith) on Aug 26, 2018 at 12:56pm PDT
Smith went on to thank Penn Jillette, an American magician who recently documented his own impressive weight loss in his book Presto!, and Ray Cronise, a NASA scientist turned nutrition and weight-loss specialist whom Jillette credited for much of his weight loss. Cronise encouraged him to interrupt his current relationship with food by picking just one thing to eat for two whole weeks, and Jillette chose the potato. It seems Smith tried this plan as well, as he thanked Cronise for “getting me started with his potato famine,” which advocates maintaining a largely plant-based diet after the first two weeks of eating all the potatoes he wanted but nothing else (not even butter or sour cream!).
He also thanked Weight Watchers for “their app-based program that made it easy to keep track of and control my eating!”
Same dude, different day. Pic on the left, is from nearly 10 years ago, at Zack & Miri premiere. Pic on the right is minutes ago. I was in Manhattan yesterday – a city that’s legendary for it’s amazing variety of food and eating options, where you could dine out here every night your entire life and never have to eat at the same restaurant twice. It’s a land of food glorious food… but I’m on a diet. So even though they served what looked like an amazing buttercream cake at the @amc_tv event I went to last night, I didn’t indulge. And next time I gotta stare down a meal the old me would’ve inhaled, I’ll look at these two images of me out on control and me under control. It’ll help keep the cake on the plate instead of in my maw. #KevinSmith #FitterButBitter #diet
A post shared by Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith) on Apr 18, 2018 at 11:15am PDT
Finally, he thanked his 19-year-old daughter, Harley Quinn, for giving him the inspiration necessary to get healthy.
“The little vegan astronaut who explored this meatless/milkless galaxy ahead of me, leading by example. Since I never wanted to see the inside of a hospital ever again, I simply copied the Kid. So this wasn’t a diet: these results came from a total lifestyle change of eating solely plant-based foods (which is tough because I hate vegetables).”
Happy Father’s Day, from me and my only begotten kid, @harleyquinnsmith! We had family vegan brunch at @crossroadskitchen and I got to wear my new #badnewsbears crest (by @jeffquigley & @jimedelston). #KevinSmith #harleyquinnsmith #fathersday
A post shared by Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith) on Jun 17, 2018 at 2:08pm PDT
He also gave a shoutout to his fans, “for the kind and encouraging words along the way. Never underestimate the power of positive feedback: you folks telling me I looked better or healthier helped me stick with it. An encouraging word can really make a difference in someone’s life and your compliments kept me going!” And he’s right. Studies have even shown that announcing your weight loss goals on Instagram can actually help you achieve them.
Wide World of Jorts, Then and Now. Years ago, a paparazzo snapped the infamous shot on the left of me wearing my giant jorts at my all-time heaviest. The photo on the right was taken at the same gas station today. I’m very near the goal weight I was told to shoot for after the heart attack, so big thanks go out to @weightwatchers, #pennjillette, @raycronise & @veggiegrill for reshaping my district, so to speak! #KevinSmith #wwambassador #wwfreestyle #vegan #weightlosstransformation #weightwatchers *People following the Weight Watchers program can expect to lose 1-2lbs per week.
A post shared by Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith) on Aug 4, 2018 at 5:07pm PDT
For more celebrity transformations, check out James McAvoy’s Secret Muscle-Building Diet.
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