“I Get a Little Jealous…”: 51-Year-Old Shaquille O’Neal, Who Hogged McDonald’s Meals and Fried Food, Used Instagram to Inspire His Weight Loss Journey

Shaquille O’Neal is probably the most iconic center that the NBA ever drafted. The 7-foot-1-inch tall former four-time NBA champion was formidable on the court. The Lakers superstar’s larger-than-life personality and dominant skills would take the arena by storm every time he would step out on the court. Not only was Shaq motivated to be the best on the court, the Big Diesel is also equally if not more likely to indulge in competition off the hardwood.

The Big Shaq epithet is for a reason. The former Lakers center weighed up to 415 pounds until recently when he began his weight loss journey. Earlier this week, the NBA star had to undergo hip replacement surgery, and though that put a damper on his fitness regime he has assured fans he will be hitting his home gym in no time.

Shaquille O’Neal shares the secret to losing weight

In an interview with People magazine, Shaq shared details of his endeavor to slim up after losing over 40 pounds already, saying “I don’t like to talk about it. I like to show.”

The 51-year-old veteran player went down memory lane, back to his days of playing in the league. He shared how he never used to worry or bother about diet and fitness, and would just eat Mcdonald’s and other junk food as he felt that as long as he would train for 5 hours straight on the court after – and if it was not affecting his game – then it did not matter.

Shaq said, “If I had paid attention, I probably could’ve been like Udonis Haslem and played 20 seasons, but I did it my way. I looked terrible. I had no definition and basically, I was fat.“

Read More: “I Wasn’t Really Born, I Was Found on the Train”: Giant Shaquille O’Neal Unveils Being Mistaken for an “Alien” and the Inspiration for His Profound Thoughts

The former player now regrets his choices and wishes he would have taken better care of his diet and fitness. He shares how it did not even hit him until after he retired and all he saw was his body being out of shape. However, the last straw for him was watching posts from guys who looked probably as fit as a former basketballer ought to be – or more – when he browsed Instagram.

Shaq finds inspiration from social media

Coming back to his goal-oriented and motivated self, Shaq said he used to “get a little jealous” when he scrolled through Instagram and saw young guys posting photos of their six-pack abs and lean physiques. He shared that he viewed it as healthy competition. Shaq said he used this jealousy to motivate himself to do better and attain his goals.

He shared in detail how he is making better dietary choices and eating healthier, doing cardio at least 3 days a week and weight training every day. The Lakers legend shared that he still has about twenty pounds left to tackle.

WATCH THIS STORY: “Your A** Better Be in the House”: Years Before $1,000,000 Worth Luxury Gift to Mother, Shaquille O’Neal Admits How a Strict Lucille O’Neal Reined Him In

Big Shaq’s ultimate goal after achieving his ideal weight is to do an underwear ad with his sons. While fans and friends are wishing him a speedy recovery, we also hope the Shaquille O’Neal achieves what he wants.