CGMs - Continuous Glucose Monitors
mamnavarro
Posts: 7 Member
Good afternoon. I'm wondering if anyone has had success losing weight using CGMs. Please let me know if you can. I'm not diabetic or pre-diabetic. I'm just thinking of using one for weight loss.
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Replies
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Since this isn't the first post on this issue, I'm really curious as to why people think monitoring their glucose will have anything to do with weight loss?9
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If you are not diabetic, glucose numbers are meaningless. And they have absolutely nothing to do with weight loss.9
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Since this isn't the first post on this issue, I'm really curious as to why people think monitoring their glucose will have anything to do with weight loss?
It's become a huge thing on Instagram and YouTube. A company that came out with a glucose monitor is advertising it as a diet/healthy eating aid3 -
Since this isn't the first post on this issue, I'm really curious as to why people think monitoring their glucose will have anything to do with weight loss?
I refuse to do the research to confirm or disprove this (
because the result has no usefulness to me), but I'm assuming this is a way for companies to monetize the (incorrect) belief that bodies can only store fat if there's a glucose spike/insulin spike, or store more of it when there's a spike, or some other such nonsense.
OP: Have you tried the simple route, just eating a sensible number of calories (whether you get there by counting them or not), preferring food that you personally find tasty/filling, with a small enough calorie deficit that your energy level stays high, your appetite stays manageable, etc.? ("Lose weight fast" is not a way to lose lots of weight, or lose weight permanently, typically. It's a way to sell people stuff they don't need, over and over, as they yo-yo.)
Bonus if you get overall good nutrition while you do that, plus maybe some enjoyable extra activity - exercise or otherwise - suitable for your current fitness level. Those last bits are optional, in any direct sense, though. Indirectly helpful, maybe.
Electronic toys are fun, but not necessary for weight loss.5 -
I am diabetic, and I have a CGM. It's been incredibly helpful for me to manage my blood sugar, but it doesn't help me lose weight and I would not recommend it for that. The only thing that helps with losing weight is to watch the number of calories I eat in a day. I can sort of see the logic behind why it might be recommended - because people might think that to keep your blood sugar fairly low, you have to not eat too much - but that's not actually true. It's actually pretty easy to over eat and still manage to keep your blood sugar at a reasonable level. After all, there are plenty of overweight people who aren't diabetic (since their pancreas works well), and also plenty of diabetic people who are overweight and yet still managing their blood sugars fairly well.
Beyond it just not being an effective tool for weight loss, CGMs and the associated supplies are *expensive* - especially if your health insurance isn't going to help you out without having diabetes. Beyond the up front cost for the meter, you need a new sensor every 10 days, and a new transmitter every 3 months (with Dexcom, at least). Without health insurance, that's like $450 for the meter, $100 every 10 days for a new sensor, and $300 every 3 months for a new transmitter. Personally, I think it'd be a better idea to spend the money on an Apple Watch or something. That way, even if I didn't lose weight with the help of the gadget, there would be other features that could still be useful.
Edited to add: CGMs also often need to be calibrated by using a regular glucose monitor (that is, the ones where you prick yourself to bleed, and then use a test strip and monitor to read your blood sugar level). So you'd need to buy that stuff as well - and you'd have to prick yourself every once in a while, which may or may not be an issue for you. My hatred of having to prick myself to test my blood sugar is why I got the CGM in the first place to just cut down on how often I had to do that.
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In Australia CGM's are subsidised for type 1 diabetics ( possibly some type 2's if they are on insulin, I'm not sure)
very expensive otherwise.
As well as pointless really1 -
Not it's intended use.2
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Personally I think it’s a waste of money and resources.2
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Science says don't waste your money.
Validity of continuous glucose monitoring for categorizing glycemic responses to diet: implications for use in personalized nutrition
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/115/6/1569/6522168?login=false
Dr. Eric Trexler did a research review on that paper, and while for obvious reasons I'm not gonna copy/paste the whole thing, here's the final line, which I think sums it up pretty well:
"However, for non-clinical applications related to general health or performance in people without glycemic control issues, I’m not seeing much evidence to support a beneficial effect, and there are some potential downsides when we burden ourselves with the task of micromanaging glucose fluctuations that are well within normal ranges."4 -
Science says don't waste your money.
Validity of continuous glucose monitoring for categorizing glycemic responses to diet: implications for use in personalized nutrition
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/115/6/1569/6522168?login=false
Dr. Eric Trexler did a research review on that paper, and while for obvious reasons I'm not gonna copy/paste the whole thing, here's the final line, which I think sums it up pretty well:
"However, for non-clinical applications related to general health or performance in people without glycemic control issues, I’m not seeing much evidence to support a beneficial effect, and there are some potential downsides when we burden ourselves with the task of micromanaging glucose fluctuations that are well within normal ranges."
Let's see. A study that critiques a product that has a specific medical purpose and then doesn't see much evidence of a beneficial effect for people who's glucose is generally in the normal range and possibly seeing a downside from micromanaging something that doesn't exist.....well, that's pure freeken genius. On a serious note, Dr. Trexler was absolutely correct, it makes no sense if it's not used for its intended purpose.
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Don't waste your money on that. If you want to just throw money away, send it to me
All you need to do is be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. Nothing fancy is needed, ever.1 -
I'm trying to only to eat fresh Fruit and vegetables to get my sugar. That said, if I eat three fruits and five vegetables, I'm way over on my sugar intake for the day. Should I not count the sugar from fruits and vegetables and only count added sugars?0
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dstedman62 wrote: »I'm trying to only to eat fresh Fruit and vegetables to get my sugar. That said, if I eat three fruits and five vegetables, I'm way over on my sugar intake for the day. Should I not count the sugar from fruits and vegetables and only count added sugars?
Are you diabetic or insulin resistant, or do you have some other health condition that requires you to limit total sugar or manage carb intake? If yes, discuss this with your doctor or registered dietitian, or rely on advice from respected mainstream relevant organizations (such as American Diabetes Association)
If you're just a regular human trying to lose weight or be healthy or both, don't worry about inherent sugars, unless it brings you so many calories you can't get enough protein or healthy fats.
Inherent sugars (or even added ones) won't affect weight management directly, because that's all about calorie intake. (It can have an indirect effect if the sugars spike your appetite, or give you extra energy so you move more.) The right calorie level will achieve your weight goals. Nutritionally, what matters is the overall picture, on average over semi-short time periods (day to a week, maybe), not individual foods or nutrients.
I ate well over MFP's default total sugars goal every day during weight loss, with nearly zero added sugars. The sugars were inherent in veggies, fruits, and dairy. I lost weight fine. I maintain weight fine, doing the same thing, for around 7 years now. (I eat more added sugar in maintenance than I did while losing, because my calorie budget is bigger. I still don't eat lots, typically well under the WHO/USDA/NHS kind of guidelines. That's not deprivation: I'm just not a big sweets-eater.)
Get enough protein. Get enough healthy fats. Get plenty of varied, colorful fruits and veggies. Hit a reasonable calorie goal. You'll do fine, as long as no pre-existing disease or health condition is complicating that picture.2 -
sollyn23l2 wrote: »It's become a huge thing on Instagram and YouTube. A company that came out with a glucose monitor is advertising it as a diet/healthy eating aid
Sigh. Anything to trend, even if it wastes money or puts people’s health at risk.
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As an aside, can someone please tell me how it's connected to the blood system? Do you need a trained professional to connect it? Thanks.0
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Here's Dr. Zubin Damania a guy I follow talking with Dr. Ron Sinha about glucose monitors and metabolism and it's light, comical and informative but it's long and I think some could find interesting.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Cg55DR2s8uk0 -
@threewins: It's connected via a very fine needle that gets injected under your skin. The needle is part of the sensor, which is placed on your skin (usually around your belly or the back of your upper arm, depending on the CGM). The sensor is installed via a gun that fires the needle into your skin. The needle is so small, though, you can't feel it get injected. The sensor also has a sticky seal that sticks the sensor to your skin. So you wear it until the sensor expires - which is every 10 days for the model I use - and then replace it with a new sensor. The sensor also includes a transmitter that then sends the blood sugar readings to either your phone or another device via wifi. Hope this helps!3
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mamnavarro wrote: »Good afternoon. I'm wondering if anyone has had success losing weight using CGMs. Please let me know if you can. I'm not diabetic or pre-diabetic. I'm just thinking of using one for weight loss.
I used a CGM for a couple months to learn how different foods affect my glucose levels. There's PLENTY of research coming out right now that shows how high levels of insulin affect your metabolic health. Metabolic health is a spectrum, usually starting with a high fasting insulin level, continuing with a rising blood glucose, which may eventually lead to T2 diabetes.
The CGM can tell you which foods and how you eat them affect your own personal glucose levels. It's like a personalized glycemic index.
I did not use mine for weight loss, but it was very insightful information. Totally worth the money for me **personally** to use for a couple months.
There's a lot more to health than just weight loss, and to me, this was a way to learn more about my own health.2 -
I have a continuous glucose monitor but I’m a Type 1 diabetic so I use it for an entirely different reason. Hopefully you get the information you need from using it.1
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I can 100% say if I had a CGM 5 years ago, I would not have slid into type 2. The foods recommended to me by the dietitian, even at measured portions, shoot my sugar up too high, leading over time to huge highs and lows. 4 oz chicken breast, no sauce, 1 cup broccoli, half cup whole grain brown rice, plus an apple... typical dinner I would consistently spike to 170's-200's. EVERYBODY is different, individual foods affect us all differently. Now, as far as weight loss? I'm making better choices keeping my blood sugar from having such highs, and consequent lows, which is eliminating the "starving" feeling when my sugar drops after the spike, eliminating the yoyo up and down, and the scale is reflecting this. My dr recommends everyone have one for even just a month, to get an idea how your body processes food.3
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angelamb1970 wrote: »I can 100% say if I had a CGM 5 years ago, I would not have slid into type 2. The foods recommended to me by the dietitian, even at measured portions, shoot my sugar up too high, leading over time to huge highs and lows. 4 oz chicken breast, no sauce, 1 cup broccoli, half cup whole grain brown rice, plus an apple... typical dinner I would consistently spike to 170's-200's. EVERYBODY is different, individual foods affect us all differently. Now, as far as weight loss? I'm making better choices keeping my blood sugar from having such highs, and consequent lows, which is eliminating the "starving" feeling when my sugar drops after the spike, eliminating the yoyo up and down, and the scale is reflecting this. My dr recommends everyone have one for even just a month, to get an idea how your body processes food.
Bold is mine.
To add to the recommendations a family member received was to see 200 or less 2 hours after they stopped eating.
-- sadly, the dietary recommendations, meds, movement did not seem to arrest the decline but how does one tell because would it have been worse faster if they had no therapeutic treatments?
Personal musing... before a person is diagnosed diabetic, wouldn't a GCM reveal problems with blood glucose spikes? And, at pre-diabetic point illustrate in a clear way the early problems?
-- if a person does not feel their symptoms beyond maybe a vague thirst or fatigue, it can be difficult to heed the warnings when diagnosed pre-diabetic... would think metabolic issues begin earlier than pre-diabetic, and would wonder if a CGM would be helpful there.
I am not sure though how this would relate to weight management. Although, spike in appetite swinging with insulin is something significant that can be addressed; appetite management. Something there maybe.1 -
My dr recommends everyone have one for even just a month, to get an idea how your body processes food.
that seems an extremely unlikely scenario to me.
I cannot imagine any reputable Dr suggesting everyone get a CGM for a month or any length of time.
and type 2 diabetes develops over time - getting a standard fasting blood glucose test done 6 monthly at most, would pick up any development of diabetes or its forerunner, impaired glucose tolerance and allow one to make any required adjustments to diet and weight loss and activity, to reduce their risks
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Well, firstly you would need to know why a doctor would prescribe a continuous glucose monitor to begin with, considering diabetes or IR is a given.paperpudding wrote: »My dr recommends everyone have one for even just a month, to get an idea how your body processes food.
that seems an extremely unlikely scenario to me.
I cannot imagine any reputable Dr suggesting everyone get a CGM for a month or any length of time.
and type 2 diabetes develops over time - getting a standard fasting blood glucose test done 6 monthly at most, would pick up any development of diabetes or its forerunner, impaired glucose tolerance and allow one to make any required adjustments to diet and weight loss and activity, to reduce their risks
Your answer, which follows your MO is probably going to be "but they said everyone" would be my guess.
Think in context, it helps, would be my advice.
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Adventurista wrote: »angelamb1970 wrote: »I can 100% say if I had a CGM 5 years ago, I would not have slid into type 2. The foods recommended to me by the dietitian, even at measured portions, shoot my sugar up too high, leading over time to huge highs and lows. 4 oz chicken breast, no sauce, 1 cup broccoli, half cup whole grain brown rice, plus an apple... typical dinner I would consistently spike to 170's-200's. EVERYBODY is different, individual foods affect us all differently. Now, as far as weight loss? I'm making better choices keeping my blood sugar from having such highs, and consequent lows, which is eliminating the "starving" feeling when my sugar drops after the spike, eliminating the yoyo up and down, and the scale is reflecting this. My dr recommends everyone have one for even just a month, to get an idea how your body processes food.
Bold is mine.
To add to the recommendations a family member received was to see 200 or less 2 hours after they stopped eating.
-- sadly, the dietary recommendations, meds, movement did not seem to arrest the decline but how does one tell because would it have been worse faster if they had no therapeutic treatments?
Personal musing... before a person is diagnosed diabetic, wouldn't a GCM reveal problems with blood glucose spikes? And, at pre-diabetic point illustrate in a clear way the early problems?
-- if a person does not feel their symptoms beyond maybe a vague thirst or fatigue, it can be difficult to heed the warnings when diagnosed pre-diabetic... would think metabolic issues begin earlier than pre-diabetic, and would wonder if a CGM would be helpful there.
I am not sure though how this would relate to weight management. Although, spike in appetite swinging with insulin is something significant that can be addressed; appetite management. Something there maybe.
Yes it would be a tool that can show how high an individual spike of a particular food items for example effects blood glucose above a base line. And depending on how high that food goes above base line and for it's length of time can indicate an issue. The more dysfunctional pancreatic beta cells are, which is where insulin is produced, the effect will be greater which can and does indicate a problem well before any diagnosis of IR or diabetes. If you decide to use a CGM it's important that before you test any food that you fast for at least 12 hours, if it's to check an individual food item. As well you need to give it about 2 hours after ingestion before you check your blood glucose levels.
For example and me personally steel cut oats bairly raise my blood glucose levels when consumed on their own but in a meal with milk and a few berries is was greatly increased. Overall when wearing a monitor it can tell fairly accurately how much a particular meal effects our metabolic homeostasis of our blood glucose.
Just to add: I believe if doctors not only took fasting blood glucose they also took fasting insulin levels it would make more sense simply because as fasting insulin levels increase over time even when fasting blood glucose don't that it's a good proxy that they will, and they do unless a dietary change has taken place, and for me that was to reduce most starchy carbs which reversed the situation I had many years ago.2 -
Ty @neanderthin - helpful. Earlier screening could be helpful, along with dietary help. Wondering if the milk is the added spike with the oats and berries, since mom used milk or juice when she had low bs events. Inspiring that you reversed and staved off through dietary changes, et al. Thanks for the share.2
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neanderthin wrote: »
Well, firstly you would need to know why a doctor would prescribe a continuous glucose monitor to begin with, considering diabetes or IR is a given.paperpudding wrote: »My dr recommends everyone have one for even just a month, to get an idea how your body processes food.
that seems an extremely unlikely scenario to me.
I cannot imagine any reputable Dr suggesting everyone get a CGM for a month or any length of time.
and type 2 diabetes develops over time - getting a standard fasting blood glucose test done 6 monthly at most, would pick up any development of diabetes or its forerunner, impaired glucose tolerance and allow one to make any required adjustments to diet and weight loss and activity, to reduce their risks
Your answer, which follows your MO is probably going to be "but they said everyone" would be my guess.
Think in context, it helps, would be my advice.
Yes my answer is going to be repeating what I said before - extremely unlikely a doctor would suggest everyone get a CGM for any length of time.
Since the claim was that a doctor suggested this for everyone.
No context was given in the claim, the claim said everyone.
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