His method is based on three meals a day. Within each meal, protein is consumed first, then vegetables, and finally fruit. One must go at least five hours between meals, eat no food after 9 p.m., drink at least two liters of water daily, and eat an apple for breakfast every day.

These are Hung’s rigorously practiced weight loss rules—Formula 35921. By sticking strictly to his method, he reduced the burden of an overweight body, improved his health, and resolved at least one midlife crisis.

At each meal, protein is consumed first, then vegetables and starches, and finally fruit. This is the metabolic-balance weight-loss method that Hung Tai-shiung advocates so strongly.

Many people find they gain substantial weight after entering middle age. Hung was no exception. He was busy at work, lacked the regular three meals a day, and loved snacking between meals and before bed. No wonder he gradually put on weight, suffered high blood pressure and lost his precious rest through sleep apnea.

“I used to feel sleepy from about 10 a.m. from hypoxia, or lack of oxygen,” says Hung. At first he thought the problem was an offshoot of his high blood pressure, but he later learned sleep apnea and snoring could affect sleep quality. He took a sleep test in hospital and was shocked to learn he had suffered 56 apnea events during the night. He had “acute obstructive sleep apnea.”

Hung tried wearing a continuous positive airway pressure mask or various oral appliances so as to get a good night’s sleep, and had two radio-frequency ablation treatments, but to no avail. He began to wonder if his problems might become a life sentence.

In 2010, Hung ran into a friend he hadn’t seen for a long time. The friend had recently reduced his weight from 92 to 76 kg, and his health problems of high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high blood lipids seemed to vanish without medication. This inspired Hung to recover his own health by losing weight. He learned from his friend how to use the concept of “metabolic balance,” a slimming method advocated by a German doctor, Wolf Funfack.

Hung Tai-shiung, head of the Registry Division at National Taiwan University, has published a book talking about his weight-loss experience so his readers can also benefit.

The metabolic balance method is divided into three stages. The first is a two-day “body preparation period.” The only foods permitted are vegetables and fruit.

The second stage lasts 30 days, and is the most critical period. Subjects must strictly follow the “35921” formula, and limit the intake of oils and starches.

Beginning each meal with low-­glycemic-index protein ensures the stimulation of digestive enzymes to catabolize protein. Meanwhile the pancreas will cease insulin production and start to secrete glucagon, so the body feels sated. Then, in the vegetable-eating phase of the meal, when protein and vegetables mix, the body can stimulate the metabolism and burn fat. The meal finishes with a portion of fruit.

In the second stage, Hung stuck to a model of eating a single protein food, a single vegetable, and a single type of fruit; for example, for breakfast he might have a boiled egg, boiled amaranth and an apple; lunch might be salmon with rosemary, cabbage fried with garlic and a variety of grains, then fruit; and dinner would be roasted mushrooms, red and green capsicum cooked with asparagus, and fruit.

By the 12th day of the second stage, Hung felt his stiff neck becoming more flexible, and his blood pressure had fallen from 140/100 to 128/80, which was critical in giving him the confidence and determination to continue.

The third stage emphasizes using good-quality cooking oil and reducing salt intake, and a basic healthy diet based on simple cooking and a good range of food types.

In four months, Hung’s weight dropped from 84 to 67 kg. At 168 centimeters tall, he’s managing to maintain his weight at around 65 kg. His body mass index is 22.67, indicating “normal” weight. Snoring and hypertension seem to have disappeared without any medication.

As long as you figure out your basic metabolic rate, estimate daily calorie intake and make sure you consume fewer calories than you burn, a finely balanced diet can help you lose weight healthily.

“We should never miss a meal, or it could intermittently slow down the metabolism. Hunger pangs drive us to eat more, leading to a loss of metabolic balance.” Hung reminds us that if your metabolism is in balance, you will lose weight. He has done it, so you can too. Good luck!