Q. I'm having a hard time losing weight lately and want to start dieting again. As a Traditional Korean Medicine practitioner, what approach do you recommend?

I vividly remember struggling with dizziness after blindly starving myself to lose weight in the past; I wasted a lot of effort following 'popular' methods that simply didn't work for my body. As a practitioner of Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), the approach I recommend is 'overhauling your body’s fundamental internal environment.' TKM weight loss is uniquely effective because of its personalized, one-on-one prescriptions. We do not focus solely on appetite suppression. If we identify blockages in the circulation of Qi and Blood (Gihyeol) or symptoms of Spleen Deficiency (Biheo), we must incorporate restorative treatments to address those root causes. By clearing out metabolic wastes such as Phlegm-retention (dameum) and Blood Stasis (eohyeol), we elevate your overall metabolic efficiency. This shifts your constitution so that your body can maintain its balance and weight even after you finish the herbal treatment course. However, there are clear trade-offs. During the initial stage of taking herbal medicine, you may experience heart palpitations, dry mouth, or minor sleep disturbances as your body rapidly increases its metabolic rate. Additionally, the process requires regular clinic visits for lifestyle coaching and habit correction, which can be quite demanding. If your goal is to lose several kilograms in just a few days, TKM might feel too slow. However, if you are exhausted by the recurring yo-yo effect and want to transform your constitution without compromising your health, TKM is undoubtedly your most reliable partner.