Acronyms and Terminology

  •  Adapted = (see Keto Adapted below)
  • AS = Artificial Sweetener
  • BF = Body Fat
  • BG = Blood Glucose reading taken from a meter that measures how much sugar is in the blood. Diabetics test their blood to make sure they don’t go to high or too low.
  • BMI = Body Mass Index The ratio between height and weight. It is an established index, where as the higher the number, the more fat you are. But is controversial because it uses a “one size fits all” method.
  • BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate = Your BMR represents the number of calories your body burns at rest. calculator
  • BP = Blood pressure
  • BPC = Bullet Proof Coffee
  • Bullet Proof Coffee = I am not a coffee drinker, but, when you Google it, the best I can tell is it is organically grown “mold free” coffee beans with Unsalted Grass Fed Butter and some kind of oil called MCT.
  • MCT = Medium-Chain Triglycerides are medium chain fatty acids which are extracted from coconut oil. And it has Lauric acid in it (whatever that is)? Apparently this coffee tastes really good and gives you Superman powers (hence “bullet proof”), you never want to eat again, you can leap tall buildings in a single bound and you go into Ketosis in a few minutes ~ then burning all the remaining fat in your body in a week’s time (at least this is the hype on the internet, remember Gano?). For newbies: No, you do not have to take up coffee drinking to implement the Keto diet.
  • Carb = Carbohydrate. A carb is any food derived from plants.
  • CICO = Calories In Calories Out = a theory that purports that weight loss is solely from quantitative calorie intake below what a person consumes in energy. The Ketogenic diet proves that the “quality” or substance that the calorie comes from matters. Once Keto Adapted, the person can lose weight even if the calorie intake is above (to a point) what the body uses.
  • CKD, SKD, TKD = Cyclical Keto Diet, Standard Keto Diet, Targeted Keto Diet, CKD & TKD are Keto Diets for people that do high intensity workouts/exercise. Here is a detailed explanation.
  • CO = Coconut Oil
  • FA = Fat Adapted, similar to Keto adapted. When your body derives most of its calories from fat and a very low amount from carbs.
  • Fat Bombs = A keto diet treat or food that is usually sweetened (with lo-carb sweeteners) has a high fat content and low in carbs. Popular ingredients are: coconut oil, butter, cream cheese & cocoa powder.
  • FODMAPs = Fermentable Oligosaccharides Disaccharides Monosaccharides And Polyols ~ Certain fruits, vegetables and sweeteners that cause digestive problems, in some people, such as: gas, bloating, poor digestion, etc. A “low FODMAP” diet would avoid these food items. For more info.
  • Ghee = (pronounced: Gee) Clarified butter (high fat). Origin: India, Its butter that has had it’s water boiled out of it. All fat/oil. Like concentrated butter.
  • Glycolysis = A metabolic state that your body is in when your liver turns carbs into glycogen (sugar/glucose). The glucose is then used by the body as fuel. Glycosis is the “default” or primary state your body will be in when it has enough carbs to convert. If the body/liver consumes all of the carbs, your body will then switch over to Ketosis.
  • Gluconeogenises = The process whereby the body (liver) converts excess protein into glucose.
  • H1c or A1C or HA1c = Hemoglobin A1c Test, a test diabetics take that averages the last three months of their blood glucose levels. Below 7 is normal.
  • HF = High Fat
  • HWC = Heavy Whipping Cream
  • IBS = Irritable Bowl Syndrome ~ a digestive disorder that commonly causes cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation.
  • IF = Intermittent Fasting You eat no food for a minimum of 16 hrs and up to a day or two.
  • IIFYM = If It Fits Your Macros Another position among standard thought, similar to CICO (see above). This definition taken from the web: “Regardless if you like to eat pizza, or boiled chicken breasts, IIFYM teaches us that if you eat less calories than your body requires (while getting adequate protein, carbs, fat and fiber based on your goals and the energy needs of your body) you will lose weight at a steady and predictable rate.” Many keto’ers disagree with this position.
  • IR = Insulin Resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it effectively. Insulin resistance increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.
  • KCKO = Keep Calm Keto On! A phrase to well wish someone on MFP’s posts.
  • Keto = abbreviated version of the word: Ketogenic
  • Ketoacidosis = Not to be confused with ketosis (see below). Ketoacidosis is a rare condition found in diabetics (most usually T1) and severe alcoholics, leading up to a severe excess of ketones. In the case of diabetics, it is because the diabetes is uncontrolled and the body is producing no insulin. Normal ketogenic ketone levels range from .5 mmol/L (a measurement of ketone concentration in the blood) to 3.5 mmol/L (during exercise). Ketoacidosis is a concentration usually in excess of 15 mmol/L. Keto Adapted = When your body is in the ketosis state for 2-4 weeks, (uninterrupted and consistently through a low carb diet of fasting) your body will move into metabolic state where it builds enzymes and hormones that are adapted to burn fat more efficiently. This is the goal of the Keto diet. This is the short definition, a longer definition. Keto Flu = On the induction phase of the Keto diet, your body may give you “flu like” symptoms. If you cut the carbs drastically (as you should) your body has to adjust hormonally to burning fat. A lot of the flu comes from an electrolyte deficiency you will get, because your liver will start dumping electrolytes after it switches over to producing ketones/fatty acids. Here is a much more comprehensive explanation for Keto flu.
  • Ketogenic Diet = Low Carb, High Fat, Medium Protein diet Keto Sub Groups = There are different types of Ketogenic diets, too numerous to list here. Read this blog: Keto Sub Groups
  • Ketosis = A metabolic state that your body is in, when the liver turns fat into fatty acids called ketones. The ketones then are used by the body as fuel. This state is induced by water fasting or by limiting your diet to a very small amount of carb’s per day.
  • Keto’ers = Those that believe or practice the Ketogenic diet/lifestyle.
  • Keto Rash = An itchy rash that developes after starting a Ketogenic diet. This is probably a candida die off (a bad gut microbe that dies due to lack of sugar in your diet). After the die off, the liver cannot clean out the endotoxins produced by the die off, resulting in a rash. The rash will go away, do not stop the diet, a candida die off is a good thing. This is commonly called a, “Herxheimer reaction”, meaning you get worse before you get better. Stay the course. Google search for candida die off rash.
  • Kryptonite Food = Low carb high fat food that tastes so good, you can’t stop eating it. Consequently, you eat too many calories of it. Some common kryptonite foods may include: Bacon, pecans or other tree nuts, etc.
  • LCHF = Low Carb High Fat (Ketogenic diet)
  • LC or LCD = Lo Carb or Low Carb Diet
  • LBM = Lean Body Mass The weight of your body minus essential fats.
  • Locavore = a person whose diet consists only or principally of locally grown or produced food.
  • Low FODMAP Diet = Fermentable Oligo-Di-Monosaccharides and Polyols This group of people have digestive problems when eating certain kinds of sugars that can cause bloating, diarrhea, constipation, etc. Some also have inflammatory bowel disease. You have to restrict consumption of fructose, lactose, fructans, galactans, and other polyols sugars found in certain fruits and zero-calorie sweeteners.
  • Macros = Macronutrients, your diet ratio between: Carbs, Fat & Protein. These three food components are the “fuel” for your body. They are expressed in terms of percentages of each in relation to your diet in calories. The most popular ratio for Keto is: 75% Fat, 5% Carbs & 20% protein.
  • MCT = Medium Chain Triglycerides. Fatty acids in many oils and milk. A very healthy oil. Usually associated with coconut oil.
  • Micros = Micronutrients small amounts of minerals or vitamins that belong in our daily diet to promote healthy living. There are minimums established by the USDA, but some believe their guidelines are not correct or there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” approach to the amounts recommended. The micronutrients are often measured in milligrams.
  • MUFA = Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acid. This is a good fat. Here is a better definition.
  • NK = Nutritional Ketosis, see “Keto Adapted”
  • NSV = Non-scale Victory These are benifits derived from the Ketogenic way of living that are not connected to weight loss. These could be, improved blood tests, better fitting clothes, feeling better, clearer mind, sleeping better, less sickness, etc.
  • OWL or Atkins OWL = Ongoing Weight Loss
  • Paleo, Paleo diet, Paleolithic, Caveman diet = Another diet regime that you do not eat processed foods like grains, vegetable & grain oils, legumes, dairy and sugar. It promotes eating food available that is found wild in nature, berries, nuts, usually organically grown. It parallels the Keto diet, in that, you avoid grains, highly processed high carb starchy foods.
  • PCOS = PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome
  • PISS = Post-Induction Stall Syndrome: A couple weeks after being on the diet and before you are “adapted” you will find that water and glycogen find a new balance and this causes a stall or even weight gain, which lasts for a week or two. Relax, PISS is both normal and temporary.
  • PSMF = Protein-Sparing Modified Fast. PSMF is a lo-carb, lo-fat, lo-calorie diet. Rapid weight loss. A long-term PSMF diet undertaken carelessly and without the care of a physician may lead to serious health risks.
  • PT = Physical Therapy (being heavy can injure you and you may need this occasionally)
  • PUFA = Poly-Unsaturated Fatty Acid. Bad fats with excessive levels of Omega-6s which can cause damaging inflammation, particularly when subjected to high temperatures, like in cooking. Example: canola oil, corn oil, vegetable oil and other grain oils (basically oils that require massive processing to obtain.)
  • RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance. Usually associated with how much minerals and vitamins you should take. Set by the government.
  • SA = Sugar Alcohols Sweeteners that are carb free, and usually end with the letters, “ol”. For example: Erythritol, Xylitol, Sorbitol, Mannitol to name a few.
  • S.A.D. or SAD = Standard American Diet (Low sodium, Low Fat, High Carb diet) This diet has been blamed for the current epidemic of overweight, metabloic syndrome, morbidly obese, insuline resistant population that is stressing out the medical system. This diet was institututed and promulgated in the 70’s by the U.S. government and exported to most of the rest of the world (with a similar effect on foreign populations.) Scraping = If you have to eat a pizza, you “scrape” all the toppings off (ditch the crust) to keep it a low carb meal.
  • TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure = TDEE is the amount calories your body burns in a 24 hour period, sleeping, working, exercising, playing and even digesting food! calculator
  • T2D or T2 or TII or T1 = Type 2 Diabetic or Type 2 Diabetes or Type 1 diabetic
  • TLDR or TL;DR = Too long, don’t read!
  • WOE = Way Of Eating
  • WOL = Way of Life ~ in the context of nutrition: to chose a method of eating consistantly and routinely for the rest of your life ~ as opposed to a temporary diet.
  • YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary ~ a term to explain that works for the original poster, may not work as well for you.