Hannah Piehl's Story

Hannah Piehl went to the doctor to get some routine blood work done because she wasn’t feeling “right.” After receiving the news that her A1c was “through the roof,” along with a diagnosis of diabetes, she was very motivated to start her weight loss journey.

“I was depressed, anxiety-ridden,and very unhealthy and unhappy,” said Piehl.“I just wanted to feel beautiful again.”

Piehl describes Dr. Berg as a “life saver” for her. She found his videos on YouTube when she launched her keto lifestyle. She said that intermittent fasting was the biggest lessonshe learned from Dr. Berg. In fact, if she could go back and do things differently, she would have started intermittent fasting sooner.

“I think intermittent fasting is one of the big reasons I’ve done so well on this keto journey,” she said. “I would have also implemented more exercise. My loose skin is the biggest thing holding me back right now from being the most confident I could be and I definitely blame that on not exercising enough.”

At the start, Piehl, like many others, struggled with cravings because she was giving up all her favorite foods—like pizza, cookies, and cake. Yet she got used to the keto way of eating, and especially after implementing intermittent fasting, her cravings subsided.

Additionally, Piehl’s family has been encouraging throughout this process and her new husband (fiancé at the time) has accompanied her on the keto journey, losing 100 pounds (45 kg) himself.

“I feel like a whole new person,” she said. “I’m confident, I’m healthy, I’m a better person all around. My headaches have gone away and the dizziness and the darkened skin from Fat Storing Hormone resistance is completely gone.”

Piehl’s wedding date was May 2019; in the nine months leading up to her wedding, she worked hard to get her health on track. “I wanted to feel beautiful and comfortable in my own skin on my wedding day,” she said.“I also didn’t want to kill myself with food.”

With keto, she has lost 114 pounds (52 kg) and feels great. “The best part is my new-found confidence, well-being and health,” she said.

“Don’t listen to the people who tell you keto is bad for you!” advised Piehl.“They’re out there and they’re wrong! I had so many people along the way try to tell me how bad it was for my body. DO NOT GIVE UP. It won’t be easy but it will be worth it!”

Favorite Way to Exercise: “I love going hiking!” said Piehl.“It’s like therapy [with] exercise and you don’t even realize you’re exercising! It might sound silly but it’s true. I would love to start adding in strength training or whatever I can to tighten the loose skin.”

Favorite Keto Recipe: Chicken alfredo with chicken, zoodles, broccoli, and homemade alfredo sauce