resetIntermittent fasting is an umbrella term for eating patterns that alternate periods of eating with periods of fasting or reduced intake. Time-restricted eating is a particular approach that limits the daily hours in which eating occurs.
Neither term describes a complete meal plan.
Distinguish a daily window from other patterns
A label such as 14:10 describes hours within an ordinary day: 14 in the fasting window and 10 in the eating window. Other fasting approaches organise days differently, so their numbers should not be read as if they all use the same notation.
The NIH’s overview of fasting patterns explains this distinction. A definition is not a recommendation to try a particular approach.
What the schedule leaves unspecified
A window does not tell you what meals contain, whether intake is adequate, how medication should be taken or whether the pattern suits your health.
Two identical timer records could accompany very different diets and circumstances. This is why a completed target cannot establish a health outcome. See what research can tell us for an example of how study design affects interpretation.
Who needs a different conversation
Johns Hopkins Medicine advises against intermittent fasting for under-18s, pregnancy or breastfeeding, people with type 1 diabetes taking insulin, and those with an eating-disorder history. Other health conditions and medications also warrant individual clinical advice.
Do not change prescribed medication to accommodate a fasting window. A clinician can assess questions a timer cannot.
Where a timer fits
Reset records actual start and end times against a chosen target. It can help organise a routine already considered appropriate, but it does not prescribe one.
For the arithmetic, read how to calculate a fasting window or use the schedule preview. This article is educational, written by the makers of Reset, and has not been medically reviewed. Its purpose is to clarify the language before you make decisions that require personal advice.