intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting (noun) means an eating pattern that alternates set periods of eating with set periods of taking no food, such as eating only between midday and eight in the evening, or eating normally on some days and very little on others. It sets when food is eaten rather than what is eaten. Example: “She tried intermittent fasting for a month, eating only between noon and eight.”
How to use intermittent fasting
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEating only during certain hours or on certain days, and not eating the rest of the time.
Neutral term used in both popular health writing and research papers; often abbreviated to IF in informal contexts.
Describing the pattern is not the same as endorsing it; the term names a schedule and nothing more.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She tried _____ for a month, eating only between noon and eight.
Etymology
From intermittent, ultimately from Latin intermittere 'to leave off, interrupt', plus fasting, from Old English fæstan 'to abstain from food'.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for intermittent fasting
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between intermittent fasting and a diet?
A conventional diet mainly changes what is eaten, such as cutting sugar or limiting portions. Intermittent fasting mainly changes when food is eaten, leaving the choice of foods open. The two can overlap, since some people apply both at once.
What do 16:8 and 5:2 mean?
They are shorthand for the schedule. 16:8 means all food is eaten within an eight-hour window each day, with no food for the other sixteen hours. 5:2 means eating normally on five days of the week and sharply restricting intake on the other two.
Does drinking water break a fast?
Definitions differ, but most descriptions of intermittent fasting treat water, black coffee and plain tea as permitted during the fasting period because they supply little or no energy. Drinks containing sugar, milk or other calories are usually counted as ending the fast.
What is the meaning of intermittent fasting?
"intermittent fasting" (noun) means an eating pattern that alternates set periods of eating with set periods of taking no food, such as eating only between midday and eight in the evening, or eating normally on some days and very little on others. It sets when food is eaten rather than what is eaten.