We all know the feeling a little too well. Another new year begins, and we spend a few months eating healthier, kicking some old bad habits, and frequenting the gym a little more than usual.
Unfortunately, not all of us can maintain these healthy lifestyle habits that we know are good for us. However, Mike Tyson claims his sustainable vegan diet has gotten him into the “best shape of his life.”
Mike Tyson’s veganism has become more than a diet for him, it is a lifestyle change that has helped him get his life back–improving his health, increasing his lifespan, and saving his life. You can hear more about his thoughts in this interview of Mike Tyson with Oprah, using the YouTube link below.
How Being A Vegan Saved His Life
When Mike Tyson retired from boxing in 2005, he was in a hard place. He was addicted to intense drugs, he spent an immense amount of his time in clubs, and he had over 100 excessive pounds to lose to be at a healthy weight.
By 2009, Mike Tyson regularly ate meat and drank beer excessively, leading to a clinical diagnosis of obesity. He also struggled with arthritis and dangerously high blood pressure.
He was ready for a lifestyle change, or he might not have lived much longer to tell his story.
Tyson transitioned to a plant-based diet in 2010, and never looked back. He has been clean and sober since as well, which benefits his health and is also a well-earned point of pride for him.
His vegan diet helped Tyson alleviate all of his underlying health conditions, but, most importantly, it helped him get back to doing what is most important to him.
Tyson shares that he wants to be healthy so that he can be the best for his wife and kids. At the heart of the story, this is what really matters.
A Heavyweight Champion–Then and Now
Some might argue that Mike Tyson is as good of a fighter now that he was in his prime fighting days. His personal trainer credits his good shape to the lifestyle changes he has made, and says that he has the power in his punches of a guy who is in his early twenties.
You can see his current strength and training in the Instagram link below.
At 53, Mike Tyson is a picture of health. In fact, he is in such good health that we might not want to count him out of the boxing ring for good.
Tyson says that he would love to return to the ring and be in good enough shape to box three or four-round exhibitions for charities. While current boxers have responded that they were scared to learn that Tyson might be returning for the ring, it will be exciting to see how his lifestyle changes have changed his way of boxing.
A Day in the Life of Mike Tyson (as a Vegan)
It is hard to accomplish all that Mike Tyson did in his career as a boxer without being extremely driven and structured in your day to day activities. Mike Tyson follows this path, as his diet and training regime are widely regarded as “beyond belief” in intensity and focus.
For instance, he starts each day bright and early with a 4 a.m. run, followed by thousands of reps of calisthenic exercises, 10 to 20 rounds in the boxing ring, and a couple hours of aerobic exercises throughout the day.
On a daily basis, Tyson consumes between 3000 and 4000 calories of carbohydrates and proteins to help build his body mass. It might sound like a lot, but he is 240 pounds of muscle in a 5 foot 10 inch stature, so the calories are much needed to match his extreme fitness routine.
With such a routine, it is no wonder he is in the best shape of his life at 53. Maybe we should all give it a try…or admire him from a distance.