Q. I'm trying to lose weight, but why does it feel like it's so much harder for me than others, and why is my weight loss plateau so severe?

Many people start with high motivation and try extreme fasting, only to find that their bodies begin to bloat and the scale stops moving even with minimal food intake. This can be an incredibly frustrating and dizzying experience. When you starve yourself, the body enters 'survival mode' to minimize energy expenditure. If this cycle repeats, metabolic efficiency plummets, leading to a severe plateau. In TKM, this state is primarily analyzed through the concepts of 'Dameum' (phlegm-fluid retention) and 'Bi-heo' (Spleen deficiency). 'Dameum' refers to the accumulation of unnecessary metabolic waste and fluids in the body, while 'Bi-heo' indicates a weakened Spleen function, which impairs the proper absorption and transportation of nutrients. To put it simply, it is as if the engine (Spleen) has weakened and the exhaust pipe (circulation) is blocked, causing soot (Dameum) to build up. If 'Eohyeol' (blood stasis/stagnant blood) is also present, the body feels heavier and the metabolism slows down even further. Ultimately, the issue is not about 'what to eat less of,' but rather 'how to burn energy efficiently.' The priority is to accurately identify which part of your internal system is blocked to resolve the metabolic stagnation. By addressing the root cause, you can recover a healthy body efficiently without wasting effort on ineffective methods.