Doctor, I've been using an InBody scale every day to manage my weight, but obsessing over the numbers is just causing me more stress. As a practitioner of Korean Medicine, do you have any advice on how to use it more effectively?

I recall my own weight loss journey, feeling quite overwhelmed by the constant fluctuations of decimal points on the scale every morning. Through that experience, I realized that the InBody scale is a tool with very distinct strengths and weaknesses. The primary advantage is that it visualizes the balance between body fat and muscle mass at a glance. For those who suffer from frequent swelling due to Spleen Deficiency (Biheo), it is an excellent tool for monitoring the degree of edema through body water levels. It also acts as an effective 'pacemaker' for motivation. However, its limitations are significant. Because it uses microcurrents, values can shift drastically just by drinking a glass of water or using the bathroom. If you believe these fluctuations are immediate fat gain or loss, you will only accumulate stress. In Traditional Korean Medicine, we observe that constitutions with high levels of Blood Stasis (Eohyeol, stagnant blood) or Phlegm-fluid (Damyum, accumulated metabolic waste) tend to have their body fat measured higher than it actually is. Therefore, I recommend checking the 'trend' every two weeks or once a month rather than weighing yourself daily. It is far more important to notice how light your body feels and how your overall condition has improved than to focus on a single-digit change. Use the InBody data as a reference, but trust the reflection in the mirror and the fit of your clothes more. That is the true secret to sustaining a healthy and long-term weight loss journey.