Pungja says delivery orders fell after 33㎏ loss

Broadcaster Pungja, 37, said she has sharply reduced delivery food orders after a recent 33㎏ weight loss.

On MBC entertainment program Radio Star, which aired on the 15th, Pungja said, 'My delivery app level, which had recently been the highest tier, has dropped to the basic tier.' She added, 'Before dieting, I spent more than 500 ten-thousand-won units a month on delivery food, but now it has fallen to 100 ten-thousand-won units.'

Among delivery foods, pizza, hamburgers and fried foods are often high in calories and can contain large amounts of fat, refined carbohydrates and sodium. White rice has about 146㎉ per 100g, while pizza reaches about 200~300㎉ for the same amount depending on its type and ingredients.

Adding french fries, carbonated drinks or sauces can raise the calories in one meal and can interfere with weight loss. A 2019 study by the U.S. National Institutes of Health published in Cell Metabolism found that ultra-processed foods can cause overeating and weight gain.

In a randomized controlled trial of 20 adults, the researchers found that participants consumed an average of 508㎉ more per day while eating ultra-processed foods than while eating unprocessed foods. During 2 weeks on an ultra-processed-food diet, their weight increased by an average of 0.9㎏, while it decreased by an average of 0.9㎏ during the period when they ate unprocessed foods.

When delivery food or dining out is unavoidable, changing the menu and the way the food is eaten can help. Doctor Yang Hyuk-yong, the representative of blood glucose management platform Glucofit, recommended shabu-shabu, cypress-steamed dishes, bossam and sliced raw fish as dining-out menus with a comparatively lower blood sugar burden through the YouTube channel Yang Doctor, which has 100 thousand or more subscribers.

Yang advised eating enough vegetables and protein while reducing sauces with a lot of sugar and cutting back on noodles and rice. For shabu-shabu or bossam, he recommended not adding side dishes such as noodles, porridge and makguksu.

For hamburgers, Yang said it is better to omit fries and regular carbonated drinks and choose a beef patty rather than a fried chicken patty. He said, 'It is not easy to control dining out perfectly,' and emphasized, 'What matters is creating a practice that can be repeated.' He added, 'Choose even one thing from a dining-out menu to put into practice, and take a walk after eating for roughly ten minutes.'