Having Struggled With 405 lbs Weight, 51YO Shaquille O’Neal Admits to Following 1 Strict Regime

Big Diesel is dunking those pounds with panache! Shaquille O’Neal is growing his business portfolio as the face and curator of a new Las Vegas attraction. He’s working hard on looking his best before the exhibit opens. Shaq’s weight loss journey began around a year ago. He’s stayed laser-focused, adapted with the help of health experts, and even came up with his own self-motivating tactics. Given his past health struggles since leaving the NBA, Shaq has been strict on himself.

O’Neal revealed how he’s staying true to his goals during his recent interview with Us Weekly. Between his humorous take, he confessed returning to the athletic grind is not easy.

Shaquille O’Neal finds his athletic groove again

The four-time NBA champion has been open about his weight struggles. Before he committed to losing weight, Shaquille O’Neal admitted he was struggling being 405 lbs heavy. He couldn’t climb stairs and had his fair share of health issues.

Currently, Shaq has partnered with Fantasy Labs Las Vegas to open his own exhibit, SHAQ Fantasy Lab. He wants to go to the opening next month looking “PHAT: pretty, hot, and tempting.” That’s one of his many self-invented motivations.

Some may wonder why does Shaq rely on such tactics to stay fit. After 19 seasons in the NBA, wouldn’t he be used to a regimen of workouts and strongest diets? As the Los Angeles Lakers legend confessed, he’s like a lot of us.

“I was the world’s greatest athlete. It was easy, but now, you wake up and you got so much to do,” Shaq said.

By ‘so much to do,’ O’Neal is referring to his multi-faceted expansion. He is working on himself between growing Big Chicken Shaq and launching his music festival, Bass All-Stars just this month.

READ MORE: Stunned by NFL’s Low Pay Grade, Deion Sanders’ Rebirth as “Prime Time” Leaves Shaquille O’Neal in Awe

“My excuse is, ‘I’ll do it later,’ but when I was playing, you had to do it then. So, I just had to restart my mindset. Now when I wake up, I eat fruit, I don’t eat a meal, and then, in order for me to get a meal, I got to go work out.”

Going back to that mindset didn’t seem too difficult for the big man. He has dropped down to 350 lbs, but he’s not near his goal yet.

Shaq’s championship-winning mindset

O’Neal has a fitness checklist to get through. Primarily, he wants to hit 325 lbs, the weight range he was in  when he won his fourth championship ring with the Miami Heat. Moreover, he wants to flaunt a “12 pack” on Instagram.

He has moments where he slips. Fortunately, little superheroes swoop in to keep him on the healthy path. He’s now featuring in SHAQ’s Fantasy Lab in Las Vegas. The art and technology blended exhibit opens in October and he wants to experience it in his new body.

“When I go back to the Fantasy Labs, I can take my shirt off and I could be sexy while I’m in Vegas.”

That’s certainly one way to draw a crowd!

WATCH THIS STORY | Shaquille O’Neal’s 20YO Son Joins Vanessa’s  Plea In Saving Kobe Bryant And Gigi Tribute Amid Shocking Update