Q. I’ve been eating only chicken breast to diet, but why isn’t my weight changing and why do I feel so bloated?

It is a common pitfall to assume that a 'textbook' low-fat, high-protein diet will always yield results. However, consuming chicken breast in isolation can disrupt the balance of digestive enzymes and lower gastric motility. When your digestion slows down, your body may enter an 'emergency mode,' holding onto fat stores to conserve energy rather than burning them. In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), this phenomenon is identified as Spleen Deficiency (Biheo). The Spleen is responsible for the 'Transportation and Transformation' (Yun-hwa) of nutrients into energy. When this function is weakened, undigested nutrients stagnate and turn into 'Phlegm-fluid' (Dameum), a form of sticky metabolic waste, or 'Food Stagnation' (Sik-jeok). If your internal system is clogged with these wastes, energy cannot circulate, and weight loss becomes stagnant. To fix this, you should pair your protein with warm-natured vegetables to support the digestive fire. If you feel heavy and swollen despite a strict diet, the issue is likely your circulation, not your calorie count. It is important to first assess whether your current constitution is healthy enough to handle and process a high-protein regimen effectively.