Kevin Smith Lost 51 Pounds in 6 Months Following a Serious Heart Attack by Making These Changes

Personal Health

Just six months ago, Kevin Smith was in the hospital recovering from a serious heart attack that nearly killed him. Now he’s 51 pounds lighter—and determined to never experience a potentially deadly health emergency again.

“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!” Smith wrote on Instagram, explaining that he relied on Weight Watchers to lose one pound more than his doctor suggested.

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

The actor, comedian, and director shared two recent photos of himself as well as screenshots that compare his blood pressure, heart rate, and weight following his heart attack vs. now. 

Smith made the right move after his heart attack. The kind he suffered is nicknamed a “widowmaker” because it’s characterized by a 100% blockage of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. This artery is the largest of the three arteries that bring blood to the heart, and a complete blockage there due to plaque is usually deadly. 

RELATED: What It’s Like to Have a Heart Attack in Your 20s or 30s

While artery blockage builds up over time, a widowmaker heart attack comes on quickly. Lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and smoking contribute to a person’s heart attack odds, but genetics also play a role and can put an otherwise healthy person at risk.

The road to recovery following a widowmaker heart attack is long, and Smith explained his isn’t over. “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!”

He went on to thank his daughter, Harley Quinn Smith, who’s a vegan, for helping him say so long to meat and dairy. “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).”

Above all, Smith said that words of encouragement from his family, friends, and fans were what really motivated him to make these healthy changes. “Never underestimate the power of positive feedback,” he wrote. “An encouraging word can really make a difference in someone’s life and your compliments kept me going! And just look where I went!”

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