Q. Doctor, I eat very little and exercise regularly, so why am I struggling to lose weight while others succeed? Is there something wrong with my body?

I have personally experienced the frustration of trying to starve myself to lose weight, only to end up feeling dizzy and exhausted without seeing results. I truly understand how discouraging it feels when your efforts don't match the scale. Let’s look at why weight gain happens. In Western medicine, irregular eating habits or stress disrupt the hormonal balance. When insulin fails to function correctly, your body enters a state where it stops burning energy and instead prioritizes storing it as fat. In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), we diagnose this state as 'Spleen Deficiency' (Biheo). In TKM, the Spleen is responsible for transformation and transportation; when its energy is weakened, the food you consume cannot be converted into vital energy. Instead, it turns into a pathological waste called 'Phlegm-fluid' (Dameum). Much like a clogged drain, this sticky waste obstructs the body's natural circulation. If this stagnation persists, it can lead to 'Blood Stasis' (Eohyeol), where the blood becomes stagnant and impure. This marks the beginning of a vicious cycle characterized by chronic bloating and a body that feels as heavy as lead. Ultimately, the key to successful weight loss is not just eating less, but flushing out these internal impurities and 'rebooting' your metabolic switch. To achieve sustainable weight loss without the 'yo-yo' effect, we must break the cycle of why your body is stubbornly holding onto waste. You don’t have to suffer through starvation alone. Let’s work together to repair your body’s internal systems one step at a time.