The Real-Life Diet of John Wall, a Picky Eater Who’s Giving Keto a Try

Real-Life Diet is a series in which GQ talks to athletes, celebrities, and everyone in between about their diets and exercise routines: what's worked, what hasn't, and where they're still improving. Keep in mind, what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you.

When Washington Wizards point guard John Wall slipped and fell off his knee scooter in late January, he had no idea he’d just experienced a career-altering injury. At the time, Wall was recovering from surgery on his heel—hence the knee scooter—and was prepping for a follow-up procedure to clean out an infection.

During the follow-up procedure, doctors discovered that Wall had suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon from the seemingly inconsequential fall, meaning another surgery was required. “I was laying on the bed, kind of drugged up from the medicine they gave me for the [follow-up procedure], and was like, ‘What in the world? You lying. There’s no way,’” Wall says.

It’s unlikely he’ll play in the 2019–20 season, and that’s led to scathing critiques about the 28-year-old’s “supermax” contract, set to pay him $170 million through 2023. Unlike some sports stars who pretend otherwise, Wall has never shied from the reality that he does watch and read what people say about him. This latest round of criticisms, which point out, not unfairly, that returning from a ruptured Achilles is extremely hard to do, has not gone unnoticed by the five-time NBA All-Star.

For roughly five months after his Achilles surgery, however, Wall could do nothing but wait. He watched Snowfall, Queen of the South, and Chicago P.D., and spent plenty of quality time with his girlfriend and their newborn son, Ace. But more recently, Wall was cleared to exercise again, and like any professional athlete who’s keyed in on vocal detractors, he went on Instagram to let the world know what he’s working with.

As it turns out, when that photo was taken, Wall had barely returned to lifting weights. (This summer, as per usual, he’s training in Miami.) He credits his surprisingly in-shape physique to a keto diet he begrudgingly adopted roughly six months ago.

In an interview with GQ, Wall discussed how he’s kept up a keto diet despite being a notoriously picky eater, and revealed his conversations with good friend DeMarcus Cousins, who also previously suffered a significant Achilles injury (and is similarly giving the keto diet a try this summer).

GQ: Can you walk me through your exercise routine right now?

John Wall: I go to physical therapy in the mornings and do all the boring, routine stuff that you’ve got to do for the Achilles, like working on the scar tissue, calf raises, balance exercises, trying to get that flexibility back. The rehab is especially about getting the strength back in the leg. I also get massages as much as possible. The rehab section isn’t too bad, and it takes about two hours.

After that is weight training in the same building. Monday is a lower-body lift, Tuesday is lower-body conditioning, Wednesday is an upper-body lift, Thursday is upper-body conditioning, Friday is another lower-body lift, and Saturday is a conditioning day.

So Sunday is your only day off right now?

Yeah. Since Vegas Summer League, I’ve been able to get on the court and do a little bit of ball-handling drills and spot-shooting without jumping. My days are very consistent. I start around 10 and finish up at 4 or 4:30.

How did it feel to start doing some basketball drills again?

It made my workout even more fun. You see a smile on my face more than before, because I got through being in a walking boot. Doing that all over again wasn’t fun, but I’m keeping in mind that it’s about baby steps. It ain’t a marathon. I’m in no rush. I’m just listening to my team doctors, and whatever they tell me I’m allowed to do, I focus on that.

What sort of things are you looking to improve on with your weightlifting?

Right now, I’m not really worried about getting stronger or faster. I’m just getting back to the basics. But eventually, I do want to get leaner. I gained a lot of weight last year, but a lot of my weight was muscle mass. When I came into the season last year, I looked like I was about to play free safety in the NFL. So I eventually want to be strong but lean at the same time. If I can get myself back down to 200, 205, that’s going to be great for me.

After the surgery, was there a period where you weren’t able to work out at all?

For the first five months, I wasn’t able to do anything because I had surgery, then another surgery after the infection. Then I was going through the process of having a boot on, putting a cast on, then I was out the cast into another boot. And while I’m going through that whole process, I couldn’t sweat or anything, because they didn’t want sweat to get into the incision. It’s been a very long task. I’m very excited about where I’m at. I thought I’d be way more behind than where I am now.

I was going to say, I think people would be surprised to hear you didn’t start working out until recently.

Yeah, ever since I’ve been injured, I haven’t had many carbs, for real. I’ve been on a keto diet. I have a great chef, Courtney Harris, and I want to stay on that diet during this whole process. When I get back to playing, I’ll try to have carbs on game days and things like that. But it’s been tough—I haven’t had fried rice or pasta in five months, and I’m a big shrimp fried rice, pasta type of guy. I can’t have none of that, but I’ve been seeing the results pay off with my body. I’m slimmer, and when I went to Vegas [Summer League], everybody was like, “Damn, you look good, you look skinny.” And I was like, “Y’all don’t even know that I just started working out not even a month ago.”

What are you eating every day?

For breakfast, I have a smoothie or an açai bowl. For other meals, I might have lamb chop, steak, all types of vegetables. Basically, I’m a very picky eater. Some of the stuff I’m eating, I wouldn’t be surprised if I never ate it before. But I’m a little older now; I have to be smarter with my body. Being at a heavy weight isn’t going to help me be at my best level. I had to lock in and slim down so I could have a longer career.

Did you see how slim DeMarcus Cousins is looking these days?

Yes, and that’s crazy because he’s on the keto diet, too. I asked him how he lost 20 pounds since the season ended, and it’s because of the keto diet. That gave me more confidence, because I know it’s working for both of us, and he’s able to do way more conditioning than I am. So for me to be where I am right now, and I can’t really physically run on the court yet, I’m happy with the progress I’m making.

DeMarcus said he spoke to you when you first ruptured your Achilles, and I’d assume you’ve spoken since as well. What sort of tips did he give you for your recovery?

That’s my brother, man. He just told me there are going to be days where you feel like, “I’m gonna have it back,” and then some days where you’re like, “Nah, I ain’t got it, I can’t make it.” And he’s been right. But I’m a strong person mentally, and I’ve got my son around, my family and friends around, to keep me motivated. Ace gives me another perspective on life—he’s my first child, born December 5. I want my son to see me play at a high level in the NBA, and I also want to prove all the people wrong who say I’ll never be the same, I can never play as well again.

Does Ace have any favorite foods yet?

Nah, man, he only seven months, so whatever you feed him, he’s gonna eat. He’ll make faces if something don’t taste right to him, but he’ll still eat it. If we taste something we don’t like, we’ll throw it away. He’ll taste something and try more.

So what you’re saying is you’re a pickier eater than him.

Oh, man, me? I don’t eat no mustard, pickles, lettuce, no salads, I like all my food plain. If I ate a turkey burger today, it would be meat and bun. Everybody be picking on me because I’m like that, but I get that from my mom.

You posted on Instagram, “I peep the energy and I smell the doubt, but I’m going to taste the victory.” I assume you’re referencing what people have said about your contract.

You know what amazes me with all of it? Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but just to hear people say, “Oh, he has the worst contract in the NBA,” I’m like, whoa. When I got the contract, people said I deserved it and this and that, but then the second I’m not playing, I have the worst one in the league. That’s the type of thing that fuels me, that gives me motivation, and that’s what I’m talking about when I say I compete in everything. This is the game that I love to play, and if you take away the game that I love, I’m going to find a way to get back to it.

If somebody got a perception about me and said I don’t love the game of basketball, I don’t work hard, I care about the “lifestyle” too much, I’m going to change that person’s perception because that’s not the truth. But what also amazes me is they think we supposed to sit in the house all day and not enjoy life or go do anything. We still have a life to live outside of basketball. We still regular people—I still have to live on this earth. I just happen to be a basketball superstar.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Originally Appeared on GQ