Continuous glucose monitor may help you lose weight (2026)

Diabetes is incredible common. According to American Diabetes AssociationThere are about 7 million people in the United States who have not been diagnosed, with one in three Americans at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you don’t take medication, you can manage the condition — a chronic metabolic disease characterized by high blood sugar levels — by exercising and (closely) monitoring what you eat.

In the past few years, tools that people with diabetes use to help manage their condition have become more widely available. Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) e.g Abbott Lingo and Discom Stella It is only available by prescription. Now you can Buy it on Amazonmore and more people are realizing that eating like a diabetic is not a bad idea. It’s not revolutionary to say that prioritizing lean protein, high-fiber vegetables and developing an exercise habit helps you get leaner.

You can buy a custom-made Stelo or Lingo sensor, so to speak. Each comes with its own apps, and both also partner with a wide range of apps Fitness trackers To enable you to easily track your glucose level. Signos is a separate service that partners with Dexcom to use Stelo sensors. A monthly subscription to Signos includes two sensors (you have to replace the sensor every two weeks) and access to an AI-powered weight loss management platform that offers insights and plans, as well as 24/7 glucose tracking.

Full disclosure: I’m not actively trying to lose weight, but I do realize that my eating habits could be healthier. I expected to be more skeptical about this, since when I’ve tried CGMs in the past, I’ve never had any hesitation. I lost my mind. But speaking with a dietitian while testing Signos gave me a different perspective.

How to use

Photo: Adrian So

First, you install the Signos app on your phone (iOS, Android). Then you put the CGM into your skin. Continuous glucose monitors work by using a dispenser to insert a small needle only In subcutaneous tissue to measure glucose in the interstitial fluid (ISF). (Every company calls this a thread to make it less scary, but yes, it is a needle.)

CGMs are more difficult to use than traditional finger-prick blood tests. (The gold standard is a venous blood draw, but I totally got it Enough of those For now.) Glucose takes time to circulate in your ISF, and readings can vary a lot.

According to professor and registered dietitian Dr. Diane Stadlera professor at Oregon Health & Science University, there are some general rules when it comes to placement: