Yes, continuous glucose monitoring can help with weight loss when used to inform positive, long-lasting behavior changes. A 2020 study published in Clinical Diabetes found that 87% of CGM users felt they modified their food choices based on the glucose data collected from the CGM. Additionally, 47% of CGM users said they were more likely to go for a walk or complete physical activity if they saw a rise in their blood sugar. Overall, 90% of participants felt that CGM use contributed to a healthier lifestyle.
Another recent study of 1,002 people found that glucose spikes and dips can relate to eating again sooner—and eating more calories at that meal and throughout the rest of the day. CGMs provide real-time glucose data which updates every few minutes so individuals can respond accordingly and make choices based on their current physiological needs.
Your glucose levels can be used as a tool for something called “appetite training,” or recognizing hunger signals. If your glucose is high—how high depends on the individual—this might be a cue that you have extra energy to burn. Maybe you still have energy from your most recent meal or long-term fat stores, and you could delay eating a snack or meal.
Many people may feel hungry even when biologically they do not need more nutrition. This can be due to environmental cues like who they are with and psychological factors like what they are thinking and feeling. If you’re using a CGM to track your glucose along with the Signos app, you can learn to notice when hunger is actually physical due to low glucose or when it may be due to psychological or environmental factors. Checking in with your glucose before you eat to see if your glucose level is high can help.
If your glucose is high (learn what “high” means and see normal glucose ranges for non-diabetics), you may have extra energy to burn so going for a brisk walk for 15 minutes or doing the same amount of moderate physical activity around your workplace or home could be an easy way to lower your blood sugar while helping you reach your weight goals. Self-monitoring of glucose (via continuous glucose monitor or standard fingerstick glucose meters) can be an effective tool for weight and fat loss, particularly when paired with expert guidance that helps you understand which behaviors help you stabilize your glucose.
For detailed information regarding the science behind glucose, insulin, fat storage and weight loss, please visit the Signos Science page.
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