Q. I lose weight, but it always comes back quickly. Is there a way to prevent the yo-yo effect?
The key is not simply starving yourself, but recovering your metabolic function to maintain a healthy basal metabolic rate.
📝 Detailed Answer
Regaining weight quickly after dieting is not a matter of willpower. When you drastically reduce your food intake, your body perceives it as an 'emergency' and tries to conserve as much energy as possible. Consequently, your constitution changes to one where you gain weight easily even with small amounts of food.
In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), this state is viewed as Spleen Deficiency (Bi-Heo). This is a condition where the Spleen's function is weakened, preventing the proper absorption and transport of nutrients and leading to the accumulation of waste. When Dam-jeok (phlegm accumulation)—sticky waste products in the body—blocks the metabolic flow, the yo-yo effect occurs more easily.
💡 Treatment Goals
Rather than simple weight loss, the goal is to turn the body's 'metabolic switch' back on to create an environment where the body naturally burns energy.
- Metabolic Recovery: Normalizing the basal metabolic rate by strengthening the weakened function of the Spleen.
- Waste Removal: Facilitating circulation by discharging stagnant Dam-eum (phlegm-fluid) from the body.
- Appetite Control: Calming 'false hunger' in the brain to naturally regulate food intake.
- Constitutional Improvement: Moving toward a stage of maintaining homeostasis to prevent the recurrence of the yo-yo effect.
Ultimately, the core is not 'how to lose weight,' but 'how to maintain it.' We recommend first evaluating your current metabolic capacity to determine the best approach for your body.
Expert Verified
Dr. Yeonseung Choe
Chief Director
Last reviewed 2026.04.24