Kevin Smith highlights weight loss in side-by-side photo

April 19 (UPI) -- Kevin Smith posted on Instagram a side-by-side photo of himself to highlight how much weight he has lost since 2008.

"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," the filmmaker said Wednesday. Smith added that he's on a diet but was tempted to indulge in the "amazing variety of food" while visiting Manhattan.

"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," he continued. "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."

This winter, Smith suffered a heart attack. The 47-year-old started feeling ill after performing a new standup special, Kevin Smith Live, and decided to call an ambulance. Doctors later discovered Smith had a 100 percent blockage of his left anterior descending artery.

The health scare contributed to Smith's weight loss as he began to diet more. "Ironically, this heart attack was the best thing that ever happened to my health!" Smith said recently about losing 26 pounds.

Showtime recently announced that it will air Kevin Smith Live on May 11.