Shaquille O’Neal Reveals He's 20 Pounds Away From His Goal Weight, Talks Next Fitness Goals & Weight Loss Journey

Shaquille O’Neal is opening up about his weight loss journey and how close he is to hitting his goals.

The 51-year-old basketball legend first opened up about his goals at the end of 2022. Three months later, he revealed that he is within 20 pounds of hitting his goal weight after already losing around 40 pounds.

In a new interview, he revealed how much he weighs now and what his goals are after he reaches his ideal weight. He also shared some insight into his evolving relationship with food.

Read more about Shaquille O’Neal’s weight loss journey…

Shaquille is currently working as an ambassador for Novex Biotech, a line of men’s performance products. He told People that the role is helping him on his fitness journey.

“When I got introduced to Novex Biotech, I was around 410-415 lbs. I’m into the low 370s right now, but my ultimate goal is 350-something,” he explained to the outlet. “So I still got 20 lbs.”

Once he hits his goals, he said that he had a big plan for a photoshoot: “My goal is to one day be able to do an underwear ad with my sons — 51 years old, just muscles everywhere.”

He said that seeing men on Instagram with six-packs makes him feel “a little jealous.” However, he isn’t too far off by the sounds of it.

“I got a little 4.9-pack right now, but I want the world to see how proud I am,” Shaquille said. “I always put out little teasers every now and then, but it’s time to really shred it up now.”

The athlete also opened up about his diet in the interview, telling People that he wasn’t “one of those diet freaks.” Despite that, his perception of food has changed since his days on the court.

“I wish I would’ve paid more attention to it. I was such a mental warrior that none of this stuff mattered to me,” he said about his diet. “We had this guy on our team who had 2% body fat. Coach says, ‘You gotta eat healthy.’ I would tell my coach, ‘I’m going to go eat a couple burgers, he’s going to eat a couple salads. And I’m still busting his ass on the court tomorrow.’”

Speculating that he could have played longer had things gone differently, he also explained when he decided he wanted to change.

“And my way was a good way, but I didn’t really take it seriously until I looked in the mirror six, seven years after I retired. I looked terrible. I had no definition and basically I was fat. I was really fat,” he opined.

Now, he’s noticing the changes that come with the weight loss.

“I have more energy. I feel really good. I get to do stuff that I haven’t done. And it helps you discipline yourself much more,” he told the outlet. “I eat about four or five times a day, but four of those meals used to be junk meals.”

He continued, saying, “I still get to eat as long as I eat healthy. And you gotta cut out the little stuff. No more Cheetos, no more cupcakes, no more stuff like that. So the more and quicker you can discipline yourself, the better and quicker you’ll see the results.”

Shaquille sparked fan concerns earlier this week after sharing a photo in the hospital. He then eased their minds by explaining how he wound up there.