He was well known for a mountainous physique that defied the laws of physics in his backboard-breaking heyday. A decade after retiring, Shaquille O’Neal was acutely aware his body and health weren’t what it used to be. Instead of resigning himself to it, O’Neal set off on a transformative journey. Through very busy schedules, Big Diesel has stuck of his weight loss goals by being his own biggest motivator. His methods are showing results.

However, he’s not getting braggadocious yet. He’s still got to meet the goals he set for himself before he flaunts it to his social media followers.

Shaquille O’Neal shares his self-motivation methods

Everyone who is on a wellness kick would empathize with Shaquille O’Neal. There are days when you make excuses, push workouts for later, cheat a little bit on the diet. When the Los Angeles Lakers legend kickstarted his path to getting back his formerly athletic body, he faced the expected challenges. In true Shaq-style, he’s set the unique goal he wants to achieve. “I wanted to become PHAT: Pretty, hot and tempting,” he disclosed.

When you set an acronym like that as #Goals, it’s to flaunt the results. Shaq wants to be able to go shirtless in Las Vegas and on Instagram. That’s why he’s sticking to his regime, taking his supplements, and following his diet.

“I just had to change the way I ate. I started taking my supplements…and just a lot of exercise and working out and it’s great. So now, when I go back to the Fantasy Labs, I can take my shirt off and I could be sexy while I’m in Vegas.”

The 4-time NBA champion clarified his intent. “I want to be able to take my shirt off on Instagram more than last…” because Big Diesel does occasionally show off his body now. “I got a four pack, but I want a 12 pack.” 

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As per his latest weigh-in, he’s at 350lbs. He’s already shed about 55 lbs since staying on track. But his “PHAT” goal is 325 lbs. Vanity is not the only reason he wants to shed the weight.

A month ago, O’Neal revealed his body was so out of shape, he walked up stairs with intense difficulty.

Shaq’s way to weight loss

Big Aristotle stuck to a rigorous regimen at the peak of his NBA career. 51-year-old Shaquille O’Neal had a harder time staying on the mindset. Hence, he devised PHAT and set the 12-pack goal.

Even the weight goal of 325 lbs was set because it was the weight range he was in when he won his fourth championship with Miami Heat. Despite his athletic past, current Shaq admitted he had no idea what would help him lose weight.

Instead, he turned to experts like a nutritionist. With all the hard work he’s putting in, he surely deserved a little treat. A little kid didn’t think so. Thanks to the boy, Shaq’s still faithful to the “PHAT” track and letting the results do the talking.

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