During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people stayed at home, and therefore there were more opportunities to spend time eating delicious food. In addition, most gyms and outdoor sports venues were closed due to the pandemic, and therefore many people gained a lot of weight.
Yu Jiashan licensed Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner in Southern California, pointed out that many people believe that to “lose weight” requires dieting and a lot of exercises, but although exercise is necessary TCM has a different overall approach.
He said that the first step in helping patients to lose weight is to adjust their daily routine and develop appropriate habits and then according to their individual physique, add acupuncture, massage, and TCM to improve their physique.
In an interview with the Epoch Times, Yu said that many people who are trying to lose weight have the same problem. Although they lose weight, they regain weight soon, and they even become fatter than before they lost weight.
He said that this is mainly because they did not change his lifestyle or adjust his physique after losing weight, so once he stopped losing weight and resumed his past routine, he would easily gain the weight back, or even get fatter than before.
Most obese people have Dampness, phlegm, qi (vital energy) deficiency, Blood Stasis, and so on, so TCM will adjust their physique from these aspects.
Yu said that he had encountered a patient who wanted to lose weight and had the problem of turning night into day. Because he was in good spirits at night, he ate a lot. And after eating, he went straight to sleep. All the calories and fat were accumulated in his body and it was difficult to consume.
Finally, the patient became fatter, he was so fat that he could not sit on the double sofa. The Hispanic patient weighed more than 500 pounds and lost more than 100 pounds after a 7-month course of treatment, and had not regained weight since.
“You can eat whatever you want during the treatment, but during the treatment, your appetite will naturally decrease,” Yu said.
First, he helped the patient to change the habit of turning night into day, using acupuncture and massage to make him fall asleep at night easier; later gradually removed damp phlegm, invigorated qi deficiency, activated the Blood Stasis, and adjusted the symptoms of his body according to different developments.
Some people mistakenly think that to lose weight through TCM is to treat constipation. Yu said, “TCM is not a laxative for losing weight. We use TCM to lower lipids, regulate blood sugar, and then combine treatment with acupuncture, and massage to remove the Dampness and oil.”
He also teaches patients massage techniques, allowing them to use their spare time at home to massage themselves. They can do it while watching TV or chatting with their family members, but the patients often feel pain during the massage.
Yu said that finally, the patient lost more than 100 pounds successfully. He could actually continue to lose weight, but he felt it was too difficult, so he ended the treatment.
Modern people live under high pressure constantly, and it is easy to be “obese from stress.” Yu explained that when the human body faces stress, it secretes a hormone that quickly converts high-calorie food into fat, and then stores fat to fight stress.
This kind of obesity caused by stress is called “obesity from stress.” This type of obese physique needs treatment for soothing the Liver and concentrating the Mind. In addition to taking TCM for regulating the body, it is more important to solve the source of stress in life. When there is no stress, there is no “obesity from stress.”
Yu pointed out that losing weight by TCM is a slow process, but it is relatively safer than Western medicine. He believed that if the method of losing weight from TCM and Western medicine can be combined, and the advantages of both sides can be gained, the result will be better.
Most people lose weight from the chin and the face first, and then lose the weight of the limbs and abdomen gradually. Yu suggested that those who want to lose weight must be persistent. He said, “you have to exercise to lose weight. Doctors only provide auxiliary methods.”
He recommended that people should exercise during sunny days, use sun protection, walk more and walk fast to let the body sweat a little bit, and you can slowly soften the accumulated fat naturally, and it will be easier to lose weight.