Key points
Some people skip meals to lose weight quickly before the holiday. Dr. Hong Myeong-hwi at Hyunginjae Korean Medicine Clinic Gangnam explains why crash dieting makes the days after harder, and what to check first.
Hello, I’m Dr. Hong Myeong-hwi, Chief Physician at Hyunginjae Korean Medicine Clinic Gangnam (Acupuncture Hyunginjae Gangnam Diet Korea).
As Chuseok, Korea’s autumn harvest holiday, approaches, I hear the same plan in the consultation room.
“I’m going to skip meals for the two weeks before the holiday and get the weight off.”
I understand the feeling.
It’s a rare chance to see family, so of course it’s on your mind.
But losing weight at any cost isn’t the goal I set. Weight taken off in a rush is the easiest to regain over a 3-day holiday.
1. Skipping meals makes the days after the holiday harder
When you cut food sharply, the number on the scale drops quickly for the first few days.
But there’s a catch.
Much of what’s lost at that point is water, not fat.
When intake drops suddenly, the body responds by conserving energy. Meet the holiday table in that state and the weight comes back more easily than usual.
- Skipping meals, then eating a lot at once
- A table full of fried dishes, rich food and rice cakes heavy in carbohydrates
- Less activity over the holiday
All three overlap.
So when the holiday ends, many people feel heavier than before they started.
2. What to look at before the number on the scale
I don’t treat body weight as just a number.
The same 1kg lost means something entirely different depending on whether it was muscle or body fat.
That’s why we check body composition with InBody first, reading muscle mass, body water and body fat together.
The difference is clear.
People who come in after crash dieting sometimes show weight down but muscle mass down with it. Basal metabolism then falls, and recovery after the holiday is slower.
You can’t go by the number alone. That’s why I don’t read every drop as a good sign.
3. Signals your body sends first
If any of these changes appear during rapid weight loss, the plan needs another look.
- Your menstrual cycle becomes irregular or a period is missed
- Dizziness, trembling hands, or trouble concentrating
- Lighter sleep and frequent waking in the early hours
- New constipation or digestive discomfort
Menstrual changes matter most.
Don’t brush them off.
Female hormones move on a monthly rhythm. So I adjust the pace of weight loss while observing about 3 menstrual cycles.
It isn’t a matter of willpower. It’s closer to a signal that the body is struggling with the pace.
4. How to prepare in the two weeks before the holiday
Don’t skip meals.
Here’s what you can do instead.
- Keep your meals — reduce portions a little if you like, but keep three regular mealtimes
- Start with drinks — sweet drinks and coffee syrups make up more than you’d think
- Protect your sleep — without enough sleep, appetite is harder to manage the next day
- Plan the holiday ahead — decide which meals will be festive and which will be light
The fourth is the key.
Plans to hold back through the entire holiday don’t last. Sitting at the family table for three days as the only one who has put down their chopsticks is far more draining than it sounds, and I’ve seen that rebound arrive all at once on the last day of the holiday many times. Separating when you’ll eat from when you’ll hold back makes returning to your normal rhythm far easier.
And if we work toward settling the constitution, we set a minimum of three months as the baseline. It isn’t something that ends with the two weeks before a holiday.
It’s fine to go slowly.
This article is general health information and does not replace a personal diagnosis. If symptoms persist or worsen, please see a doctor.
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