Some people have been using their time in self-isolation to better themselves with activities like working out, meditation, yoga, the list goes on and on. Openly gay chef Art Smith took advantage of the situation by doing a complete 180 on his physique where the popular television personality has dropped 70 pounds as a result.
His major life change wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for a very hunky guy who just happened to be visiting him, his husband Jesus Salgueri and their four children in Florida. Lucas Cancelier, a rugby player and trainer, was set to return home to Argentina earlier this year but decided to stay with the family-of-six amid the worldwide pandemic.
Art, who has competed on shows like Top Chef Masters in the past, opened up about his struggles with losing weight which Lucas was happy to help him out with. “[Cancelier] said, ‘Let’s try something!’ He put together an exercise routine for me. We ran to the sporting goods store and got some simple things like a yoga mat. And when nobody could go to the gym, we started running on railroad tracks turned into a walking path,” he told Today.
“Who would ever think that a pro rugby player would get stuck with me and that he would change my whole life? He’s more than a coach. He’s a mentor,” he said, who began his weight loss journey at 330 pounds.
Weight for Art, like many of us out there, has been a struggle as he previously lost over 120 pounds in 2011 but gained about half of it back a couple of years later. He is now sharing his workout tips and healthy recipes on his website while praising Lucas for helping him make this all-important change in his life.
“February 1, 2020 a friend from Argentina came to visit and saved my life,” he wrote on Instagram this month. “Under his professional guidance, even with a #pandemic we met our goal.”