Shaquille O’Neal has shed almost three stone in weight and is aiming to lose around 1.5 more.

The former NBA player, 50, who was said to weigh more than 23 stone before his diet and exercise plan, told Entertainment Tonight his excess pounds “just fell off” after his dramatic lifestyle change.

He said: “A friend of mine called me and said, ‘You’re fat,’ and she gave me this guy’s name, and he did some blood work.

“He was saying, ‘You can do this, you can’t do that – (eat) more vegetables, (your) iron’s low.’

“Once I just started changing those certain things, it dropped. It’s all about eating right.”

Dad-of-six Shaquille added he was not a “salad eater” but now takes supplements, drinks health shakes and avoids fizzy drinks.

He joked about his hopes for the future: “I think I could get the Marky Wahlberg look. I want to be known as the Black Mark Wahlberg.”

The ex-athlete told Men’s Journal about in November 2021 he hadn’t seen his abs since his professional basketball playing days.

He added his motivation to get back to the gym came from “starting to look old”, with one of his most major diet changes cutting out eating Oreos and cakes late at night.