We do all have our issues and sometimes it pays to sort them out with some therapy. Something to consider. I hope you find a ay through this and appreciate you for you. x
Losing weight at a (comparatively?) lower weight?
carolT
#22
While fasting is an effective tool for someone who is overweight and/or insulin resistant, I would not recommend it for someone with lower bodyfat or bmi. Without sufficent excess weight it becomes difficult for your body to fuel itself on stored fat alone. If fasting is making you feel worse, please donāt continue it.
High fat on keto may indeed help with hormone issues, so I would work on that and get healthy. 
jamestorie
(James storie)
#23
I agree with @carolT, without the proper fat stores, fasting isnāt going to be beneficial to you. You can only burn so many calories per pound of stored fat before your body begins metabolizing protien for energy. Dr Jason Fung says that anyone with a BMI of 20 or lower doesnāt need to fast. The longer you eat keto, the more your body heals. It will balance where it should. Lift some weights! And KCKO 
Camomilla
(Cathrine Helle)
#24
I believe the optimal range for women is a body fat percentage between 20 and 30. That is substantially more than the cut fitness women have. Loss of cycle can also be caused by too much exercise, but weāre talking professional athlete amounts, as far as Iām aware.
I do hope you keep keto, even though it might not automagically get you the fitness-look. Keto is just such a nice way to eat, and personally Iāve gotten very fond of the feeling of eating to satiety without feeling guilty afterwords.
Embrace the body you have and all the wonderful things it can do for you
Madeleine
#26
Itās called Body Beliefs. Hereās the link on Amazon but Iām sure itās available elsewhere.
carolT
#27
It was also being offered as a free download at his website last time I looked. http://altshiftdiet.com/books
Emacfarland
(Erin Macfarland )
#28
Please listen to me @Lilfreakā¦I am recovering from an eating disorder, anorexia coupled with exercise bulimia. I too was a runner and did keto along with fasting. I didnāt understand I had an eating disorder even when I was working out for two or three hours a day and reached 6% body fat. I had no cycle for 18 months. I didnāt understand why I felt so compulsive about exercising and why I kept fasting on keto and wouldnāt eat a sufficient amount of carbs despite my dangerously low weight. I am in my mid thirties, I have a family. I never thought I had an eating disorder because I thought that only young girls who wanted to look like emaciated models have anorexia. But eating disorders are not something that the sufferer chooses. They only develop when the genes are present and the individual engages in some kind of caloric restriction (most often itās not even intentional). I began running and then started keto because I heard it improved running performance. I didnāt need to lose weight but I did, and this triggered my ED. Then things spiraled out of control and I didnāt know what was going on, only that I could not stop. This cycle went on for three years. I finally understood what was going on about four months ago, and have since been working through the recovery process, both mental and physical. I do believe that keto can be a healthy way to eat for many people, especially those with diseases that respond well to this way of eating. But it can be kryptonite for those of us who suffer from disordered eating habits or who engage in excessive exercise. We tend to take things to the extreme, and your desire to lose more weight from your already too light frame reminds me of the thoughts I had in the depths of my disorder. I am not accusing you of having an eating disorder, I am only showing concern that youāre pushing your body beyond where it is able to go without engaging in harmful behavior. If I had approached keto from a more balanced place, say, not fasting and eating more carbs, I maybe wouldnāt have developed my ED and struggled for the past three years. But you are at such a low weight that further trying to manipulate your body will lead to more harm, including to your mental health. You have no cycleā¦this means you are lacking sufficient body fat. If you continue to want to eat keto you need to add in more carbs, not more fat, to help balance your hormones and increase your weight. Particularly because you are running, you need more carbs than someone who is sedentary and has metabolic issues, like diabetes. You do not need to fast or eat extremely low carb! Your body is telling you it is not healthy. I am not a coach or a medical professional but I have been in your shoes! I denied what was happening for a long time, and guess what? It ruined me life. I am lucky to be alive as a matter of fact. My organs had begun to shut down. My children could have been left without a mother. Do not underestimate the danger of being as lean as you are, and the role that plays in your physical and mental well being. I would encourage you to step back and be honest with yourself about your mindset and to seek out professional help from a counselor who specializes in body image and eating disorder issues. Having a "perfect " body is not what we are here for, it is not our purpose in life. Our bodies are intended to have fat on them, fat is an organ, it helps our brains function properly, it helps our hormones stay balanced. Please take my advice, as I wished someone had been so direct with me when I was sick. It could have saved me from going through hell and back.
Lilfreak
(Emily)
#29
Hey, wow, thank you for sharing thatā¦ Iām honored that you care enough to try and help me out! And Iām really happy for you that you came through it, it must have been so difficult to go through all that. You certainly made me think a lot, because it does sound pretty similar to what Iām going through 
except I donāt think Iām lean at all or thin enough to possibly have an eating disorder! Plus just like you I thought only teenagers who want to look like models got it! However I have been fasting for 60 hours now and I feel pretty weird about it. I donāt want to get an eating disorder and I guess I already have the wrong mindset about myselfā¦anyway sorry Iām rambling! But thanks again, Iāll think about what you said for sure <3
Emacfarland
(Erin Macfarland )
#30
@Lilfreak go eat!! Do not fast for 60 hours! It is not necessary and is harmful at your weight. Please, please hear what I am saying. You will damage your organs. You most likely need to gain weight. I highly recommend seeking out a professional. Have a look at the blogs of Tabitha Farrar. She may help you understand better what an eating disorder looks like. If you can stop now, you might save your life. This is not something to take lightly.
birddog27
(Jennifer)
#31
If your cycle has stopped it means your body fat can no longer make the estrogen you need.
The sex hormones can be affected by a range of factors, including:
Low levels of body fat ā the female body cannot menstruate below a certain percentage of body fat.
Exercise ā makes the body release certain exercise-related hormones, such as beta endorphins and catecholamines. High levels of these hormones are thought to affect how oestrogen and progesterone work.
Emotional stress ā strong, negative emotions can affect the hypothalamus.
Disordered eating ā crash dieting and skipping meals can be signs of eating disorders and can lead to weight-related amenorrhoea.
Seriously - I would not be fasting. Do you know what your LBM is? Maybe you could get a DEXA scan near you to tell you exactly where you are at. Iām thinking you have a lot less body fat than you think you doā¦
Take care of yourself.
Daisy
#32
It takes a long, long time before you realise this. If you were aware from the outset that you had an eating disorder, it would be less likely to take hold. We are not able to ādiagnoseā you but outside opinions can sometimes be a real eye-opener. The fact that Erin sees warning signs and has shared her story with you tells me a LOT. She has struggled WITH awareness. She gets through. She is fierce and strong and determined. Please listen to her and heed her heart-felt warnings.
You mentioned before that you felt weak. Fasting is only going to exacerbate that. You NEED body fat to fast. If you want to fast then build your self into a gladiator first.
We are not criticising you, we are trying to help - because we care. If you can afford it, I would consider getting some therapy to hep you sort out your headspace because that is where this is coming from. Finding and working with the right counsellor for me has been life-changing.