Shaquille O'Neal embraces diet in a new definition
Shaquille O'Neal is on a mission to achieve good health in 2023. The former NBA player has already shed 40 pounds, which equals to about 18 kg. Further, he told Entertainment Tonight that he has until his 51st birthday in March to lose 20 more pounds, that is about 9 kg.
"I lost 40 pounds," O'Neal said. "I need to lose about 20 more, but impressive. Imma get real chiseled up and do an underwear ad with my sons."
O'Neal’s wake up call
The former Lakers player explained that he got some blood work done back which showed he needed to make healthier lifestyle changes, especially on the dietary aspect. He shared that his iron levels were also low.
'Eliminate something that you love'
Sharing what worked for him, O'Neal said that in order to lose weight, you have to stop eating your favorite fatty foods.
"Then you gotta eliminate something that you love. Eliminate it. I haven’t had soda for a while. I gotta eliminate bread and soda, so, if I could eliminate bread or soda, I think I could get the Marky Wahlberg look. I want to be known as the Black Mark Wahlberg," he said.
Aside from changing his diet, he is also taking supplements and drinking shakes.
Read more: Weight loss: Protein-rich recipes you must add to your daily diet
Switching to a planned diet for weight loss
O'Neal said that because he was an athlete, he never paid close attention to what he was eating. “Cause I was the athlete -- I wasn't a salad eater,” he said, adding, “I didn't know what the difference between a carb and a protein, at 50 years old I never knew.”
Following healthy changes in his diet, he began to lose weight. "The weight just fell off. I'm not at 100 percent ninja mode yet. I'm still 75 percent," O'Neal shared.
Walking is the key
For people who don't have access to a chef and trainer like he does, O'Neal advises to simply start by walking.
"Start off, if you can, by walking 30 minutes a day. A lot of people can’t do that 'cause I know, you got the kids, you gotta get to work. But if you can, start off by walking 30 minutes a day," he said. "Put your headphones on, put on your favorite song, 30 minutes a day."
Read more: “I included low-calorie, high-protein foods to my diet, lost 50 kilos”
New Year's Eve countdown special
Fans will be able to see O'Neal's trimmed-down physique in his upcoming virtual reality New Year's Eve countdown special, The Shaq-tacular Spectacular.
The event will feature an all-star lineup of musical acts, celebrity guests, and neon light performance with a DJ set from Shaq aka DJ Diesel.
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