Can a CGM Help You Lose Weight? How?

In order to answer this question, we have to first have an understanding of how insulin (glucose) controls our metabolism. Insulin is the driver of the car, so to speak, when it comes to our metabolism. It’s what’s referred to as an “anabolic” hormone, which means that it contributes to our bodies’ growth.

Here’s how it works:

• Eating prompts our pancreas to release insulin into our bloodstream
• Insulin then start directing our body with what to do, telling our body to burn glucose
• It can shift our metabolism from burning fat to storing fat

For a healthy individual with a healthy metabolism who eats a nutrient-dense diet, their insulin releases likely work perfectly, metabolizing the sugar and storing minimal amounts of fat. However, those with abnormal metabolisms and poor diets will cause our bodies to release too much insulin, too often. This creates a situation where your body stores more insulin as body fat, making losing weight difficult.

This is where tracking and understanding your blood glucose levels become so valuable. By seeing the spikes in relation to your lifestyle choices in real-time, you’re able to make small, sustainable changes to your diet and lifestyle habits that will result in fewer insulin spikes, and ultimately, weight loss.

Understanding Your Blood Glucose Levels In Relation to Weight Loss

Every individual has a baseline glucose level and it’s the bedrock from where you will build your healthy diet. Both Signos and Nutrisense have tools in place to help you determine your baseline. With a baseline firmly established, you can then hone in on how the foods you eat are affecting your blood sugar. With this data, we can then maximize our metabolism and facilitate weight loss.

As a general rule, we don’t want to see our blood sugar spike more than 30 points after eating a meal, particularly, if our goal is to lose weight. With this in mind, we can monitor our baseline glucose levels and see how they respond post-meal. If you’re seeing huge spikes in your glucose, this is an indication that your eating habits are causing unhealthy spikes and that your diet could use some fine-tuning to ensure that your post-meal spike stays in a healthier range.

Next, let’s take a closer look at both Nutrisense and Signos and how these CGMs can help us to gather the data we need to understand our blood glucose levels as well as provide us with the tools we need to make them more manageable and conducive to weight loss.

Studies On CGMs and Weight Loss

Of course, we always like to back up any claims with some research and a study or two for proof. This study found that 87% of CGM users modified their food choices based on the data they collected from the glucose levels via their CGM. Furthermore, 47% of CGM users were more likely to go for a walk post-meal when they saw a rise in their blood sugar (walking or another physical activity can help moderate your levels). But, best of all, 90% of the study participants felt as though they were on a path to a healthier lifestyle thanks to the CGM.

Another study found that glucose spikes and dips can be controlled by your eating patterns i.e. eating again soon or eating more calories at a meal and throughout the rest of the day. Some people discover that they are snacking too much, never allowing their glucose to get back to baseline in between meals, leaving them with elevated levels throughout the day. With a CGM in place, you can use your glucose levels as a tool for something referred to as “appetite training” or the recognition of hunger signals.

Table Comparison Of Signos Vs. NutriSense

Signos Overview

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Signos takes an individualized approach to weight loss, understanding that we are all unique and so are the foods and habits that spike our individual glucose levels. With Signos, you can get real-time data collected from your CGM from every meal and snack that you eat.

The Signos team believes that healthy looks like:

• The ability to see how your body responds to the food you eat.
• Learning and understanding what spike your glucose (everyone is different!).
• Use the information you receive to make small, sustainable changes that help you to avoid spikes and lose weight.

Signos partners with Dexcom CGM to provide you with some of the most up-to-date technology available in the space. Dexcom works seamlessly with the app, so there’s no need to scan or take any extra steps in order to get your updated glucose reading. Plus, you can set up alerts on your CGM to let you know when your glucose level is either spiking too high or too low, which can really come in handy and eliminate the need for you to be constantly checking the app.

Standout Features and Benefits

Signos provides elite features that you can benefit from if you're wanting to lose weight through tracking your blood glucose through a CGM system.

Signos uses data gathered directly from your body to develop a weight loss plan that’s unique to you and your lifestyle

Eliminating the guesswork

Weight loss often feels like a confusing and frustrating puzzle, but Signos takes care of that for you by eliminating the need to guess when it comes to weight loss. As a Signos user, all you need to do is wear your CGM and follow along with the prompts and activities inside the app.

Wellness road mapping

Once you’ve completed a series of exercises and tests, Signos then has the data it needs to help you create a roadmap to wellness and weight loss success. The plan curated for you will include small, sustainable lifestyle changes that will lead to incredible results. Your plan is custom to you and flexible enough to make sure you stay on course.

Personalized exercise prompts

The AI inside the app will get to know how your glucose responds to the exercise that you log. When your glucose spikes, the AI will then let you know how long and how hard you will need to work to bring it back down again.

Predicted glucose response

Thanks to the powerful AI, you can log the meal or food that you plan to eat and the app will predict your glucose response.

How to Get Started

Cost

Signos costs between $99-$299 per month, depending on the subscription plan that you choose. A Signos subscription includes the Signos kit shipped to your doorstep, access to the comprehensive weight loss plan via the Signos App, the cost of the devices, and medical consultation for physician approval of the CGM. 

Included in the Signos kit:

• Transmitter
• Sensors
• Performance covers
• Alcohol wipes
• Glucose drink
• Welcome book with step-by-step instructions

For 15% off, use code FHM15

NutriSense Overview

Nutrisense is helping everyday people optimize their daily health performance by using a CGM, experimenting with eating windows, workouts, and macronutrient balance. By arming you with the tools you need to truly understand how your body works, you can implement changes that work for your body and lifestyle.

At Nutrisense, they believe firmly that blood glucose is a vital sign that’s well worth measuring and understanding. With this CGM system, you get a program that’s built specifically for you, by you, and in conjunction with your registered dietitian, which is offered to you for free for the first month of using Nutrisense. Ideally, the Nutrisense team would like to see users wear their CGM and monitor their progress for an entire year for the best results.

Standout Features and Benefits

NutriSense also has similar features, like Signos, that provide realistic benefits, let's check those out below.

Meal tracking with Nutrisense allows you to see what foods are causing energy crashes, blood sugar spikes, and food cravings. After logging your meals, you will get a food feedback score that helps to keep you accountable for your body’s needs. No more one-size-fits-all diets.

Access to Registered Dietitians

All Nutrisense members will be assigned a registered dietitian (RD) that will work with them one-on-one inside the app for additional support. Your RD will help you to understand and interpret the numbers and data you get from your CGM and then make suggestions custom to you based on your health goals. You can chat with your RD any time inside the app!

Nutrisense has a habit tracking feature that allows you to hold yourself accountable for changing your habits. You can track your habits inside the app and see the impact they are having on your body.

Part of the optimization process involves experimenting with new things so that you can get to know what works best for you. With Nutrisense, you will receive recommended experiments and, if you choose to try them, you can track them inside the app to see how your body responds. 

Getting Started With Nutrisense

• Step 1: Fill out a brief questionnaire and a Nutrisense doctor will review it for approval.
• Step 2: Once approved, you will receive your kit in the mail.
• Step 3: Follow the instructions to place your sensor and download the app.
• Step 4: Start tracking and wait for your RD to reach out with more information and the next steps.

Each subscription plan includes the following:

• 2 CGM sensors per month, each good for up to 14 days
• 1 month of complimentary in-app communication with your RD
• In-app food tracking to identify which foods are right for you
• Personal data visualization and analytics
• A comprehensive report on your blood sugar results and areas for improvement

Which Is Better For Weight Loss: Signos or Nutrisense?

To be honest, I find that both Nutrisense and Signos offer weight loss potential thanks to the app features and tracking capabilities. However, Signos is a little easier to use and understand than Nutrisense. However, Nutrisense offers complimentary access to an RD for the first month, which provides users with the opportunity to get clarity and gain an understanding of their data. But, keep in mind that once the free month is up, you will need to pay an additional $50 per month to maintain access to your RD.

Wrapping Up: Deciding Between Signos and Nutrisense Comes Down To…

Choosing a CGM for weight loss between Signos and Nutrisense comes down to what you value more: having limited access to a professional who will help you interpret the data or having access to an app that is easy to understand but also lets you access a professional should you need additional help. 

Using Signos, I found that the information I was given was much easier to understand and digest than Nutrisense. I was able to follow along with the prompts and tracking tools really easily and the numbers I was getting back made sense. With Nutrisense, on the other hand, I found the app to be a little more cumbersome to navigate and not as sharp. But, the fact that an RD reached out to me immediately after signing up was a huge bonus for me.

Overall, you really can’t go wrong with choosing either Signos or Nutrisense, both will provide you with the tools and strategies you need to make small lifestyle changes that will help you lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle.

Tips and Tricks From An Experienced CGM User

Quick Summary of Signos CGM Review

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What is Signos?

Signos is a weight loss program that’s designed to help you reach your goals by understanding your body’s metabolic signals through the use of a continuous glucose monitor, a smartphone app, and some cutting-edge AI (artificial intelligence). With real-time data gathered from your CGM, the platform intuitively recommends personalized meals and exercises that will transform the way that you approach weight loss.

With Signos, you get the opportunity to discover how your body responds to different foods and then how you can make small tweaks to your diet and lifestyle to promote more efficient and sustainable fat loss. Weight loss is all about glucose, and Signos gives you the tools and the roadmap to gather your unique data and put it to work for you.

Glucose and the Science Behind Signos

Before we go further on Signos, let’s back up a second to discuss the science behind it and why they believe in glucose monitoring for weight loss. 

Here’s the deal, the foods we eat, the way we exercise, our sleep quality, and our stress patterns all affect our blood sugar levels (glucose). By understanding our unique metabolic markers, we can incorporate changes to our nutrition and lifestyle to help keep our glucose levels stable and prevent spikes, which cause weight gain.

This unique, highly personalized approach to weight loss is backed by a growing field of scientific research that supports glucose level maintenance for weight loss.

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What is Glucose?

If this concept is completely new to you (don’t worry, it was for me, too), then let me take a second to explain what glucose is in the first place. Glucose, also known as blood sugar, is a fuel source for your body. There are several hormones in your body, including insulin, that control your blood glucose levels.

How Does it Impact Your Weight?

Spikes in your glucose are characterized by a rapid rise in the amount of glucose in your body, which can cause proportional insulin release. Excess glucose that doesn’t get used by activity can then get stored for later use, often as fat.

Main Benefits of Tracking and Optimizing Your Glucose Levels

There are two big reasons why you should be tracking and optimizing your glucose levels:

More on CGMs and How They Work

A CGM is a tiny wearable device that reads your glucose levels in your blood continuously. The CGM is attached to your body, usually on the backside of your upper arm or on your stomach, and continually monitors your glucose levels via a filament (small, whisker-like needle). Don’t worry - wearing a CGM is generally not uncomfortable at all and it doesn’t hurt to insert it either. Once applied, you will quickly get used to it being there.

Once applied, you can continue to perform your regular activities like working out, showering, and even swimming. Your CGM will remain in place for 10 days at a time where it will continue to capture readings throughout the day as long as your phone is within 20 feet of you.

Once you’ve worn your sensor for 10 days, you will be prompted by the Dexcom app to swap it out with a new one for the most accurate tracking.

Getting Started

If you’re feeling ready and excited to take the next step with Signos, getting started is really simple. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Get signed up. After requesting access, you can count on getting approved within 1-3 weeks.

2. Complete your health history form for physician review (don’t worry it’s simple and take only a few minutes of your time). This step is critical as a prescription is required for CGM access.

3. Receive your Signos kit in the mail and place your CGM on the backside of your arm for continuous glucose monitoring. Your prescription will be sent to a physical pharmacy for pickup and the rest of the kit will ship right to your door.

4. Get feedback from the Signos app and act on the prompts accordingly.

5. Enjoy safe, sustainable weight loss.

Cost and Where to Buy

Currently, Signos offers 1, 3, or 6 month plans based on your current goals and needs. The pricing breakdown is as follows:

• 1 month: $399
• 3 months: $747
• 6 months: $1194

These prices include access to Signos’ weight loss app, the required equipment, and your medical consultation with a physician for CGM approval.

What’s Included With Your Subscription?

The Signos CGM Kit that is included with your subscription includes the following:

• Transmitter
• Sensors
• Performance covers
• Alcohol wipes
• Glucose drink for glucose calibration test
• Welcome booklet with information regarding downloading the app and applying your first sensor
• App access with activities, recommendations, and prompts to help you choose the best foods and exercises for you so that you can get in tune with your hunger levels and learn how to manage stress

Which Subscription Is Right For You?

Signos recommends that you choose a plan that’s based on how much weight you want to lose. For ideal, healthy weight loss that will be safe and sustainable, users should expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week. 

So, for example, if you have 25 lbs to lose, the 6-month subscription should get you there in a healthy and realistic timeframe. With every subscription, you will get access to the Signos app and your CGM (which includes new sensors every 10 days) for the duration of the subscription.

Average Rating and Honest User Reviews

The Signos CGM Kit has an average rating of 4.8/5 stars with over 200+ user reviews. The majority of customers are blown away at what type of bio feedback is provided by Signos with one user saying, "I've lost 15 pounds so far, and what I've found to be most helpful is controlling my glucose levels."

Other customers talk about how they thought they couldn't eat certain foods, such as fruit because it may spike blood sugar levels, but their real time feedback shows otherwise.

Below, I put together some images of the average rating and some honest customer reviews:

Alternatives Compared to Signos

Personalized nutrition is a hot topic, and, with that, comes more options. There are some legitimate Signos CGM alternatives that may interest you if you don't think this brand is a good fit.

NutriSense and Levels are the two most comparable CGM brands that essentially do the same thing. I still believe Signos is slightly better than both. NutriSense CGM does not have a waiting list, while Levels does. Veri CGM is another great brand that you may want to take a look at as well if you want to track your blood glucose levels.

Join Zoe Nutrition is a more dynamic personalized nutrition system. They do include a CGM as well and their way to get bio feedback is very unique. They are also responsible for the largest COVID-19 study.

Vessel Health, while not a CGM, is another great alternative if you don't want to wear a CGM device. This brand tests your urine on a "wellness card" and then you can scan it for instant results.

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Is Signos Effective For Sustainable Weight Loss?

Yes, Signos can be a very effective weight loss tool. As a registered dietitian, I am trained to take a food first approach to losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle. There are some very general, but proven methods for eating nutritiously for weight loss and maintenance, however, these methods sometimes fail to take into account the fact that individual bodies respond and react differently to different foods.

I have been researching CGMs for weight loss for some time now and am very excited to see brands like Signos taking a very clinical approach to using a CGM for healthy weight loss. I love that the recommendations given by Signos are clinically proven and on a micro scale so that they feel sustainable and easy for the average person to implement into their daily routines. They are not asking you to make big, drastic changes to your diet and exercise program, but rather changes that are small shifts that will make a big impact on your body.

Armed with the knowledge and data gathered through the CGM, Signos’s app is a great way to lose weight and keep it off for the long term. Of course, you are not likely to wear a CGM for the rest of your life, so it’s imperative that you take the information and recommendations given and continue to utilize them long after your journey with Signos is over. 

If you’re on a journey to better health and reducing your body weight, Signos can be a great tool to guide you on your journey. Rather than trying to go out on your own and make nutritional decisions based on fads or outdated research and recommendations, you can get real-time data from your own unique body that will tell you exactly what your body needs to lose weight and maintain it in a healthy fashion.

Tips for Success From a Registered Dietitian