Q What is your secret to looking fabulous?

A Consistency. It's important to sweat a little every day, rather than to exercise for a few weeks and then slack off. I think looking good is 30 per cent working out and 70 per cent diet.

Q Was there ever a time when you weren't fit and fab?

A I've always been lean. But I gained 5kg and started having a paunch when I worked part-time at a fast food restaurant to earn pocket money during my Secondary 3 school holidays.

I worked nine hours every day, five days a week. And during the three months that I worked there, I ate lunch, dinner and supper at the restaurant.

My weight was about 60kg then. I lost the extra 5kg gradually after I stopped working at the restaurant because I ate much less fast food.

I played basketball in secondary school but the turning point was when I joined the canoeing team in junior college - the training sessions were very intensive.

We would train four or five times a week and up to 10 times a week for three months before competitions.

I continued exercising regularly after I stopped canoeing because it had become a habit and I enjoyed looking good.

Q What is your diet like?

A I try to have carbohydrates only for breakfast and lunch. If I crave Hokkien mee or fried rice, I'll eat them then.

For dinner, I won't take any carbohydrates. For example, I'll eat a piece of chicken chop with no sauce or chicken skin, but with garden vegetables on the side.

I avoid sugar and oil completely and it is good that I don't have a sweet tooth. I also go on a no-carbs diet for a month - although it's not healthy - to look good for sales promotion events that require me to go topless.

Q What are your indulgences?

A After a month of no carbs, I'll eat whatever I want to eat in the next one or two days... food like burgers, pizza, ramen and fried rice.

Q How do you maintain an active lifestyle despite your busy schedule?

A I plan my schedule every week, right down to what exercises I'll do in the gym. I start my day around 9am and attend lessons until 4pm. Then I give tuition until 6pm.

After dinner, I finish my homework and scholarship-related work and go to the gym at 9pm. I think it's all about the effectiveness and efficiency of your planning.

Q How important is it for you to keep up with your fitness routine?

A I'm hyper-active by nature and if I don't work out, I'll feel lethargic. It's also really good to take a break from my hectic schedule so that I don't feel stressed out.

Q What is the most extreme thing you have done in the name of fitness or diet?

A I once did 1,000 pull-ups every week for three months in junior college, to challenge myself as well as to prepare for the Division A Inter-School Canoeing Championships.

Team morale was very high because we were the defending champion and my coach had jokingly asked us to do 1,000 pull-ups every day for one year.

That was too hard, so I did 1,000 pull-ups every week instead, until the day of the competition.

Q How has your active lifestyle influenced your family?

A My mother started jogging twice a week around the time I started exercising regularly in Secondary 3. I think that seeing the way my body had changed motivated her.

Q What are your favourite and least favourite parts of your body?

A My favourite part is my chest because if you have a nice chest, you'll look good in anything you wear. Least favourite has to be the love handles.

Q What are the three most important things in your life?

A Relationships with family and friends, wealth and laughter.

Q Would you go for plastic surgery?

A I don't think a guy should anchor his self-esteem on his looks. It's more important to focus on your contributions and the impact you have on people close to you.

Q Do you think you're sexy?

A No, I think that's quite corny. I'd rather describe myself as fit, active and energetic.