Q. I'm trying to lose weight after giving birth, but why isn't it working even though I'm dieting like I used to?

The body after childbirth is like a landscape after a storm; it is in a fragile state of recovery. If you either starve yourself or increase exercise intensity too abruptly, the body may enter 'survival mode,' making it even harder to shed fat. Hormonally, the drastic shift from high pregnancy hormone levels can disrupt your metabolic switches. Often, what looks like fat is actually edema—a combination of retained water and toxins. In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), we analyze this through the concepts of Eohyeol (瘀血, stagnant or 'bad' blood) and Dameum (痰飮, the accumulation of unnecessary fluids). When blood does not circulate smoothly and waste products build up, metabolic efficiency drops, meaning calories aren't burned effectively regardless of how little you eat. Furthermore, a condition called Bi-heo (脾虛), or Spleen deficiency, can impair nutrient absorption and excretion, leading to a heavy, swollen feeling in the body. Many patients blame a 'lack of willpower,' but this is not a psychological failure. It is more like a clogged drain—no matter how hard you push, the water won't drain until the blockage is cleared. Forcing a diet during this period can further deplete your vital energy (Qi), potentially leading to a rebound effect (yo-yo dieting). The priority should be assessing your recovery level and metabolic capacity, then normalizing the body through tailored prescriptions to 'clear the drain' before focusing on aggressive weight loss.