Myles Turner cut down on pizza, took up yoga to get in better shape

Unhappy with his "pudgy" physique, Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner made some major changes to his diet and exercise regimen this offseason.

Those changes, as documented by ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, include eating less junk food and doing yoga. As a result, Myles has seen his body fat drop to nearly half of what it was at the end of last season:

Cutting Popeyes fried chicken, Waffle House and Whataburger out of his diet and no longer devouring eight slices of pizza in one meal, Turner hired a personal chef; he has sculpted his body from 14 percent body fat down to nearly half that. In mid-June, Turner posted before-and-after pictures of his body, and new six-pack, on Twitter that went viral.

"I took a look at myself in the mirror last season, and I was pudgy," Turner told Youngmisuk. "I was getting tired a lot faster, and a lot of that had to do with eating fast food, eating pizza the nights before games.

"Everybody told me about my diet, but last season it started to affect me. I guess getting older, my metabolism is not as high as it used to be. ... I was getting gassed."

Myles first started practicing yoga two years ago, and now attends ashtanga and vinyasa flow yoga sessions two to three times a week, which he credits for his improved flexibility, strength, and confidence.

"The way I look at it, I have to be that presence for us to take that next step and be that team out of the East ..." Turner said. "I am going to do everything in my power to work hard and give the Pacers what they drafted."