All of the offseason photos that appeared to show a slimmed down LeBron James were accurate, and the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar has a strict and lengthy diet to thank for it.
In an interview with CNN's Rachel Nichols that will air on Friday, James detailed his offseason weight loss, admitting: "I haven't been in this weight class." When asked to put a number on it, James said he's roughly 250 pounds, which he says is "a lot lighter than I've been playing at the last few years."
Media guides wouldn't necessarily back that up. The 2010-11 and 2013-14 Miami Heat media guides both listed James at 250 pounds, but there's nothing suggesting those are always completely accurate. The important thing is that "I feel good," in the words of James, and "that's not such a good thing for the competition."
So how'd he do it? From the interview:
The diet was strict, right?
Very strict. 67 days.
And what did you eat or not eat?
I'll tell you what I couldn't have. No carbs, no sugar, no dairy, no refined sugar. No nothing. Meat, fish, veggies, fruit.
What was the hardest thing to give up?
It was either pancakes or chocolate chip cookies and ice cream.
You can watch a four-minute clip of the interview below:
