NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has been prioritizing his health lately and plans to do so in 2023 as well. The drastic change in Shaq’s physique was noticed when he uploaded a post-workout picture several months ago. However, the Los Angeles Lakers legend has been working on his health way before that. It seems like Shaq is determined to achieve his desired result by his 51st birthday. This is probably why he has already lost 40 pounds and is working towards losing more. Meanwhile, the Big Diesel dragged along Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg for a specific reason while addressing his fitness journey.

In an interview with Mens Journal, Shaq had said that a series of tragedies during the pandemic had led him to stop caring about his health. The four-time NBA champion shared that when several people in his life, including his sister and NBA legend Kobe Bryant, passed away, he lost the motivation to do anything. However, the Big Aristotle eventually bounced back and got to work on his health. Shaq is so focused that he is now aiming to look like a certain 51-year-old actor.

Shaquille O’Neal wants to look like the Black avatar of Mark Wahlberg

In an interview with Nischelle Turner of Entertainment Tonight, Shaquille O’Neal shared that he had lost 40 pounds recently and is aiming to lose 20 pounds in the upcoming year. The Hall of Famer admitted that once he changed his meal plans accordingly, he was able to lose weight. Additionally, Shaq advised everyone to remove certain items from their meal plans.

“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,” said Shaq.

When asked what advice he would like to give other health freaks who don’t have access to trainers and personal chefs, Shaq replied that they should start by taking walks. He suggested that they should walk about 30 mins a day.

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It seems like the Big Aristotle is looking up to Mark Wahlberg as an inspiration. This makes sense, given that the 51-year-old actor had to go through a drastic body transformation himself. The 51-year-old actor’s work ethic and body training is an inspiration for many. And Shaq bestowed the highest honor to him when he admitted that he desires to the Black version of him. That’s a huge compliment, considering Shaq’s undoubtedly one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Mark Wahlberg went through a physical transformation

Going through drastic transformations in a short period of time can take a toll on anyone and actor Mark Wahlberg had to face the same. His movie, Father Stu was released on April 13, 2022 and showed the story of a boxer who turns into a priest following a life changing accident. In the movie, Wahlberg had to portray the role of boxer and a priest. This required him to go through intense dietary changes to fit the role. According to Entertainment Weekly, Wahlberg had to gain 30 pounds for the movie.

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The veteran actor had confessed , “I was just turning 50 by the time we finished the movie, and I was eating 11,000 calories a day. That drastic weight gain really took a toll on me over the course of the last seven, eight months.”