MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

Shaquille O'Neal says he needs 'to lose 30 more pounds', reveals old photographs inspired his weight loss

'I was looking at some pictures when I was young and how chiseled I was,' said Shaquille O'Neal

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Shaquille O'Neal, who is known for his larger-than-life personality, is making headlines for his remarkable weight loss journey.

Speaking to People, the retired NBA star opened up about the inspiration behind his recent weight loss as he revealed that going through old photographs prompted his transformation.

Shaquille O'Neal says he is 'trying to get back' in shape

The Hall of Famer said his transformation is currently "going good" but he "still probably needs to lose 30 more pounds."

"I'm the type that likes to do crazy things to motivate me, so my motivation is being able to take my shirt off one last time and see an eight- to 12-pack," said O'Neal.

"I was looking at some pictures when I was young and how chiseled I was," he added.

"I really got away from that, so I'm just trying to get back to that," he further said, adding "And you will know when my journey is complete because it's definitely going to go viral when I take my shirt off."

Shaquille O'Neal said he 'couldn't walk up the stairs' after weight gain

In a previous interview with ET earlier this year, O'Neal disclosed that he had lost 55 lbs.

"I'm probably gonna get between 315 and 330," said O'Neal, adding that he wants to transform to the point "where I have a 12-pack."

The 51-year-old athlete's weight loss was rooted in self-reflection and the realization that his health needed attention

"I was getting chubby and couldn’t even walk up the stairs. I didn’t like the way I looked in the mirror. I was like, 'I'm gonna lose 20' and then I was trying to lose 20," said O'Neal.

Shaquille O'Neal reveals his current regimen

The father-of-six revealed that his weight loss journey is currently just "all based on food and all based on working out."

"So I had to cut out the sugars, I had to cut out the bread, and I do everything in moderation," he continued.

"When I was retired, I could eat five sandwiches a day. But when you get older and your metabolism slows down, you can't do that," O'Neal added.

The former basketball player detailed the types of his daily meals."This morning, I had a cheese egg omelet for breakfast, so my second meal is going to be a Clif Bar, and then my third meal is probably going to be a salad," he said.

"And then my fourth meal will probably be fruit, and then the last meal of the day is steak, fish, and chicken," O'Neal continued.

"So you just have to eat as healthy as you can. If you're going to have fun, just have fun in moderation," he added.