While something like trying to lose a bit of belly fat may not seem like the end of the world, your body simply sees a diet as a period of restricted food, and it will act accordingly. Typically, a few weeks of reduced food intake will trigger your body to learn to function at its new calorie level, and any weight loss will slow down. Not to mention, if you lose fat and weigh less, you’ll be burning fewer calories just from your normal daily activities.
When these situations pop up, it’s important to understand how to adjust your diet so that you can continue to make progress toward your goal. If you want to increase that energy deficit so you continue to burn fat, you can either reduce your food intake or work to burn more calories.