Q. I keep gaining the weight back after dieting. Is there a way to prevent yo-yo effect?

Yo-yo effect is not merely a lack of willpower. It stems from the body's homeostasis trying to return to its original state after weight loss. In Traditional Korean Medicine, the root cause is viewed as Spleen Qi Deficiency (Bixu) and Phlegm-Fluid (Tanyin). The Spleen acts as a 'warehouse manager' that transforms food into Qi and Blood. Repeated extreme low-calorie dieting weakens Spleen function (Bixu), so the body cannot properly utilize what is eaten and instead stores it as waste products (Phlegm-Fluid and Blood Stasis). Consequently, the body perceives a 'crisis', lowers basal metabolic rate to conserve energy, and becomes more aggressive in fat storage during the next meal — this is the yo-yo cycle. Therefore, preventing yo-yo effect focuses less on 'how little you eat' and more on 'how to restore Spleen function'. Check the following: ✓ Is your diet constitution-appropriate? – For Spleen Qi Deficiency, warm, easily digestible foods (ginger, jujube, or herbal formulas) are needed; cold salads or protein shakes further weaken the Spleen. ✓ Have you experienced appetite explosions? – 'Enduring' diets raise cortisol (stress hormone), leading to abdominal obesity and binge eating. In TKM this is seen as Liver Qi Stagnation (Ganyu), requiring approaches that soothe Liver Qi. ✓ Are sleep and stress managed? – Sleep deprivation alters obesity-related gene expression and disrupts appetite hormones (leptin/ghrelin). Stress burdens the Liver and blocks Qi and blood circulation. ✓ Do you feel cold or bloated? – This signals accumulation of Phlegm-Fluid and Blood Stasis. In such cases, treatments to resolve stagnant substances and improve circulation (acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine) should come first. I myself used to repeat yo-yo cycles with crash dieting, but only after treating Spleen Qi Deficiency did my weight stabilize. Preventing yo-yo effect is not 'another diet' but a process of normalizing your body’s metabolism. I recommend visiting a nearby Korean medicine clinic to assess your current condition through constitutional evaluation and pulse diagnosis (Maekjin).