New to Intermittent Fasting? Here’s a Glossary of Fasting Terms 

Any new habit comes with a learning curve — and often its own set of vocabulary. Feeling confused by the new terms and abbreviations related to intermittent fasting (IF)? Read on for a helpful glossary. 

autophagy: the body’s natural self-preservation process that removes dead, damaged or dysfunctional cells or parts of a cell, then uses the leftover parts to repair other cells

calorie restriction: reducing your daily caloric intake below what you usually eat (without depriving yourself of adequate nutrition)

CICO: calories in, calories out

fasted cardio: cardiovascular exercise performed on an empty stomach

fasting window, feeding window or eating window: the period during a fast when you eat

ghrelin: one of the body’s hunger hormones that influences the desire to eat

insulin: a hormone that helps control blood sugar and metabolism

ketosis: the process by which the body burns fat (and makes ketones) for energy instead of carbohydrates

leptin: a hormone that influences appetite and satiety

satiety: the feeling of being satisfied (or satiated) after eating and no longer hungry

TRE (time restricted eating): an alternate term for intermittent fasting