Q. Why is it so hard to stick to a diet, and why do I keep experiencing the yo-yo effect?

Many people have tried extreme fasting only to feel dizzy and experience a sharp decline in quality of life. The reality is that the human body is incredibly adaptive. From a Western medical viewpoint, sudden calorie restriction is perceived by the body as an 'emergency.' To survive, the body lowers the basal metabolic rate to conserve energy and develops 'leptin resistance,' making the brain less responsive to fullness signals. This inevitably leads to increased hunger and a constitution that gains weight more easily than before. In Traditional Korean Medicine, this is viewed not just as an issue of overeating, but as a failure of the circulation system. Specifically, when the Spleen becomes deficient (Bi-heo/脾虛), the body fails to absorb nutrients properly and instead accumulates metabolic waste. These stagnant wastes become 'Dam-eum' (phlegm-fluid/痰飮), and when combined with 'Eo-hyeol' (blood stasis/瘀血) caused by poor circulation, the overall metabolism slows down. Essentially, your 'engine' has become heavy and sluggish due to the buildup of internal 'trash.' Forcing yourself to starve is like trying to push a car forward without any fuel. What you need now is not unconditional restriction, but a process to clear the accumulated Dam-eum and Eo-hyeol, creating an internal environment where your body can naturally burn energy again.