Actor Zheng Ge Ping's diet secrets to his hot bod

Actor Zheng Ge Ping's diet secrets to his hot bod

The 49-year-old actor, said so himself.

With his six-pack abs and bulging pecs, he follows a strict diet of "clean food" to maintain his enviable physique. Steamed fish and chicken breast - with no seasoning, mind you - are his dining staples.

Then there are days when he piles on the protein.

"When I'm doing intensive training to build up muscle mass, I can eat 24 egg whites in one sitting," he said.

The tanned, sinewy dad of two children, aged 17 and 12, allows himself only one "cheat day" per week - which I'm pretty sure was used for our lunch on Tuesday at the High Society Cafe & Restaurant at Marina Bay Sands.

As he tucked into crab Caesar salad, Norwegian salmon and beef tenderloin, Zheng - who plays a cash-strapped father in Channel 5's two-part telemovie Gone Case (Part 1 is on xin.msn.com and Part 2 on Channel 5 this Sunday at 10pm) - shared with us the indulgences he has given up, his family's makan haunts and the one time actress Fann Wong fumed over his choice of meat...

You are known for being athletic and health-conscious. What sinful foods have you sacrificed?

I have an extremely sweet tooth and I love chocolates. I once finished a whole box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates by myself.

As for hawker food, I like char kway teow and chye tau kway (fried carrot cake), especially the "black version" with dark soya sauce.

These days, I hardly eat them.

Another thing I've removed almost entirely from my diet is beer.

If I need a drink, I'd opt for a glass of red wine instead.

I've read that red wine, consumed in moderation, protects your heart against cardiovascular disease.

I drink beer less than three times a year.

Do you secretly like fast food?

Not really. Some time back, I decided to give myself a day off from my regime and take my kids to KFC.

We ordered a bucket of chicken and it wasn't long before my daughter started screaming at me: "Dad, why are you removing your chicken skin? That's the best part!" (Laughs)


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