Q. Can I lose weight just by taking herbal medicine? I'm wondering if exercising alongside it really makes a significant difference.

Before becoming a practitioner, I also experimented with the 'starve and run' approach, but I found that willpower alone has its limits. When your body feels heavy or dizzy, your exercise efficiency plummets. In TKM, we recognize the accumulation of Phlegm-Fluid (Dameum) and Blood Stasis (Eohyeol) as waste products that hinder metabolism. Specifically, those with Spleen Deficiency (Bi-heo) due to repetitive dieting often lack the digestive strength and energy required to sustain exercise, leading to quick burnout. This is where herbal medicine plays a crucial role: it supplements your vital energy (Qi) and activates metabolism to prepare your body for physical activity. From a Western perspective, this involves moderately stimulating the sympathetic nervous system to aid energy expenditure; from a TKM perspective, it is the process of clearing stagnant Qi and Blood circulation. When you exercise while these circulatory pathways are open, metabolic waste is expelled more rapidly through sweat and respiration. Think of the herbal medicine as lighting the fire and exercise as burning the fuel. Rather than forced high-intensity workouts, it is vital to find an intensity that suits your current condition. During your visit, I will assess your energy levels and help you determine the optimal exercise intensity for your body.