Q. How can I prevent yo-yo dieting (weight rebound)?

I understand yo-yo dieting well because I also struggled with it before. Starving or relying on medications leads to temporary weight loss, but when the body perceives a ‘famine state,’ it lowers basal metabolism, so even a small amount of food later causes more weight gain. In TKM, this is seen as a combination of Spleen Deficiency (脾虛, biheo) and Phlegm-Fluid (痰飮, dameum). The Spleen is the organ that transforms food into energy and distributes it throughout the body; when it weakens, water and waste are not properly eliminated, accumulating as ‘puffy fat,’ making rebound easy after dieting. Therefore, the approach to preventing rebound is divided into time-based stages: - First 1–2 weeks (adaptation period): Regularize meal rhythms and eat warm, easily digestible foods. The goal is for the body to accept that ‘it no longer needs to starve.’ Many patients report feeling lighter as swelling reduces in just two weeks. - 1 month (active improvement period): Take herbal formulas targeting Spleen Deficiency (e.g., Bo-gun-bi-gi-tang or Gui-bi-tang series) to supplement Qi and Blood. If there is Blood Stasis (瘀血, eohyeol) or Phlegm-Fluid, additional herbs are added. Within a month, appetite becomes regulated, and binge eating or cravings for sweets decrease. Though hard to quantify, most patients feel full with less food than before. - 3 months (stabilization period): Once Spleen function largely recovers, basal metabolic rate rises, shifting the constitution to one that gains less weight even with the same food intake. By this stage, lifestyle habits naturally stabilize, and yo-yo effects are no longer a concern. Duration may vary by individual constitution and lifestyle. The key perspective is ‘constitutional improvement’ rather than ‘dieting’—helping the body find its own balance. When you visit, we can diagnose your current state through simple pulse and tongue examination, and create a step-by-step plan together.