Q. Is there a way to maintain my weight and prevent the yo-yo effect after successfully dieting?
The key is not simply eating less, but restoring your basal metabolic rate and regaining control over your appetite to prevent weight regain.
📝 Detailed Answer
Regaining weight after loss is often not a lack of willpower, but rather due to the body's homeostasis. Your body remembers its previous heavier state as 'normal' and constantly attempts to return to it.
In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), this is often viewed as a state of Spleen Deficiency (Bi-heo), where the function of the Spleen is weakened, leading to inefficient energy metabolism. When metabolism drops, your constitution becomes more prone to weight gain even with the same caloric intake.
💡 Maintenance Phase Goals
Instead of forced restriction, the focus is on flipping the 'metabolic switch' so the body can burn energy naturally.
- Restoring Metabolic Function: Boosting Qi and vitality to increase the basal metabolic rate and maintain body temperature.
- Strengthening Appetite Control: Removing Dam-jeok (phlegm accumulation) to reduce 'false hunger' and normalize satiety levels.
- Optimizing Lifestyle Patterns: Setting a diet and activity level tailored to your specific constitution (Sasang type) to rewire the body's memory.
I have experienced fasting blindly in the past, which only led to dizziness and a rebound effect. Therefore, addressing the constitutional issues of your body is a much faster and more sustainable path than simply eating less.
Expert Verified
Dr. Yeonseung Choe
Chief Director
Last reviewed 2026.04.24