200 Lbs Heavier Than an Average American, Shaquille O’Neal Used “Possible Death” as Motivation

Shaquille O’Neal possesses a massive physique which is hard to keep in shape. The Big Diesel is 7’1 tall and weighed 325 lbs during his NBA days. However, the Hall of Famer got distracted from his fitness and started to weigh 200lbs more than the average American. Recently, the four-time NBA champ revealed in the latest iteration of The Big Podcast that he used his potential ‘death’ as a motivation to lose weight.

Shaq broke the news during the podcast that he reduced his weight in the last few months to 369lbs. The Los Angeles Lakers legend revealed that he used to weigh 401 lbs when he, Nischelle Turner, and Spice Adams first started the podcast.

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O’Neal shared that Nischelle wanted to let him know about his extra weight in an indirect manner. So, she introduced Shaquille O’Neal to one of her fitness and health expert friends. Shaq called Nischelle’s friend and they discussed the prospects of losing weight and becoming healthy. 

Fear of death pushed Shaquille O’Neal to change

Shaquille got his blood work done as Nischelle’s friend warned him about his lifestyle. The expert told Shaq that he will not be around for long if he kept living the same lifestyle. O’Neal said, “That’s what got me right there, if you keep this up, you ain’t gonna be around for long.”

The 15-time All-Star was motivated by the possible ‘death’ argument and started his journey to becoming healthier. He started working out regularly and focused on eating right. Further, Shaq shared that he wanted to cut his weight to 345 lbs by the time he turns 51 in March 2023. O’Neal also shared his mantra for working out. The three-time Finals MVP shared that he liked to work out for a month and then take two weeks off.

Shaq’s massive physical features made him one of the most dominating players in the NBA. He took pride in dunking against the toughest of opponents and breaking their spirits. However, as time has passed his massive physique has become harder to manage.

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Fortunately, the big man has decided to take care of himself by changing his lifestyle in an attempt to live longer and healthier. Shaq’s initiative will definitely inspire a lot of people to get out of bed and work on becoming better than yesterday.