Action Bronson lost 130 pounds with strict diet and exercise because he felt his weight 'wasn't a good message'

• The TV host Action Bronson thought his eating habits would lead to an early death.
• Early in the pandemic, he started to eat well and work out, according to The New York Times.
• Bronson now lifts weights, runs, and bodyboards.

While plenty of people have gained some weight in quarantine, the rapper, chef, and TV host Action Bronson has gone the other direction, losing 130 pounds.

Bronson is known for fearlessly eating any cuisine on his show "F---, That's Delicious!" But he thought his indulgent lifestyle would to an early death, so he decided to change his ways.

The 37-year-old renaissance man swapped pizza and quesadillas for protein shakes and grilled chicken. He also upped his fitness game - he bodyboards, lifts weights, and runs - and has an array of fitness equipment at his own studio, Jon Caramanica wrote for The New York Times.

His drastic lifestyle change was triggered, in part, at the beginning stages of writing a self-help book. Bronson said he realized his weight wasn't sending the right message to his fans.

"It's not right. It's not right for them, for their family. It's not a good message," Bronson told The Times.

Bronson was denied life insurance because of his health

Bronson has rapped and cooked throughout his life. In 2016, he started hosting "F---, That's Delicious!", where he bounced between cities and happily ate whatever chefs threw at him.

From the outside, Bronson was living the good life of traveling and eating delicious food, but his unhealthy lifestyle was starting to catch up to him, he said, especially because he ate poorly off-camera, too.

After the star was denied life insurance, he started to have symptoms of asthma and eczema, and his already-extra-large T-shirts were starting to become snug.

Bronson's fiancée, Valeria Salazar, also voiced her concerns about his potentially dying early if he kept up his habits.

"All you think about is, 'Am I going to die at night when I go to sleep?'" he told The Times.

Bronson now keeps busy with exercise

In March 2020, Bronson decided to eat better and exercise.

He eased himself into exercising by taking walks, but in May, his workouts progressed to lifting weights with a trainer. Some days, he plays handball after weightlifting or bodyboards when the surf's good.

Bronson also started to shift his eating habits and went from ordering takeout to cooking healthy meals.

His new routine is reflected on "F---, That's Delicious!"

Between shots of sizzling meat, you can watch him lifting medicine balls or pulling weights. Even though he's 130 pounds lighter, his infectious energy remains the same.