Diabetes

Can Glucose Data Aid Behaviour Change and Weight Loss?

Dr.Poonam Sharma

December 6, 2022

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Individuals take time to change themselves; from their behavioural patterns, lifestyles, and personalities, to their dietary choices or physical activity routines. So, making a change does not come easy. However, receiving crucial evidence on how their existing lifestyle choices are impacting them might cause a stir in their minds.

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The situation is not very different regarding behavioural changes for weight loss. Without proper evidence that they are unhealthy, their sugar metabolism is unbalanced, and their body weight can cause harm. Thus, they will not initiate to make changes to themselves to lead a healthier life and be fit. Studies have also found similar data revealing the positive impact of CGM. The real-time continuous glucose monitoring may encourage users to make behavioural changes to achieve weight loss.

Glucose data tracking using devices like the CGM by HealthifyMe helps both diabetic and non-diabetic patients equally. It allows them to see how their glucose metabolism works.

For example, you will notice your glucose level fluctuating on eating food, exercising etc. In addition, it also helps them understand what they should do to improve their glucose metabolism.

The CGMs provided as part of the HealthifyPro package by, HealthifyMe, provide its users with data on how a particular food and dietary habits impact their health. The pro coaches also advise them regarding the improvements they should bring about. Whether in their lifestyle or behavioural patterns, to help them effectively lose weight after recording their blood glucose readings. Finally, after studying their glucose metabolism, the health coaches set up a diet plan exclusively for each user.

Weight Loss is Not Just About Calories

Most of us believe that weight loss is just about removing the excessive calories and fats present in the body. Also, several plans involve consuming low or zero-calorie food items. But people hardly know that following only a low calorie diet is not the answer to achieving healthy weight loss.

Furthermore, weight loss is not just a matter of simple maths, and reducing calorie intake to lose a pound. It encourages weight loss enthusiasts to follow a low-carb, low-calorie diet. Also, to use trackers to navigate their ways to a healthier way of losing weight.

Researchers have found that such weight-loss strategies and diet plans are misguided. The truth about having excessive calories in the body is not entirely dependent on what we eat. Studies have found that taking low-calorie foods is not always the answer to weight loss. It is also not the healthiest way to approach weight loss. Consumption of low-carb food items can affect the body’s metabolic rate as its cells and organ systems become energy-deprived to perform vital functions.

Sometimes prudent calorie management is not effective in bringing about weight loss results. Even after following a strict low-calorie diet plan for over a year, many people have reported that. Their weight changes have been relatively minimal. Researchers believe that this is because our body possibly has a mechanism that balances energy intake and expenditure.

The different ways our body burns calories depend on several factors, including the type of food we eat, metabolism, our lifestyle etc. To put it simply, you may be consuming the same amount of calories as someone else, but the outcomes may be very different. Thus, limiting your calorie intake may not be that useful for your weight loss journey.

Glucose Levels Can Reveal A Lot About Your Metabolism

Excessive body fat not used as fuel after eating gets accumulated in the adipose tissue for future use. However, when it does not get used and remains in storage for long, it paves the way for weight gain, followed by health-related issues. Researchers found that insulin is often responsible for storing the food we eat as fat. When you eat a lot of carbs or high-glycemic carbs, your glucose levels in the blood will rise, and so will your insulin level.

Your glucose response may be smaller at first after immediately having a food item with a fat-carb combo. However, soon within a couple of hours, your glucose and insulin levels can become elevated. Such an elevation in glucose and insulin levels for a consistent period is one of the main reasons for weight gain. Other than weight gain, several other medical conditions like diabetes, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, etc., can also be developed due to a consistent spike in blood glucose.

An imbalance in glucose levels means that your metabolic health is not good. In addition, glucose levels can reveal a lot about one’s metabolic health. Therefore, instead of following a specific diet plan without knowing how your glucose levels are, one should regularly check their glucose metabolism and must plan a personalised, evidence-based diet that can help you get your glucose rates to the recommended level.

How Can Glucose Data Inspire Behaviour Change to Achieve Weight Loss?

One can use Continuous Glucose Monitors that will measure your glucose levels at all times to keep track of glucose metabolism. Tracking your glucose levels regularly can motivate you to change your behaviour and lifestyle patterns to achieve effective weight loss.

Healthify PRO offers CGMs provided by HealthifyMe with personalised diet plans to its users after recording the glucose level patterns. These CGMs can even show alerts on your mobile phone if your glucose levels get too high or too low after consuming a food item, along with advice and tips on what to do to bring the levels back to normal.

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Their HealthifyPro solution includes a Metabolic Panel, which often takes blood tests of its users and records the readings of around 80 metabolic health parameters. So, HealthifyMe helps its customers achieve weight loss by systematically checking their metabolic health and setting up a diet plan unique to each individual.

Some things that you will find it out on using a Continuous Glucose Monitor regularly include:

CGMs can provide your glucose levels when you check them with hardly any delay.
Provides you with details regarding how your body reacts to certain food items, their combinations, stress, etc., and how these contribute to an increase or decrease in blood glucose levels.
Consumption of high-glycemic food items and carbs will lead to an increase in blood glucose levels.
A spike in sugar level can cause a burst in energy, wanting you to shake a leg or two.
It makes you understand that focusing on food quality and nutrient density is as important as concentrating on eating food that stabilises glucose levels to achieve weight loss.
Following an eating schedule and food choices matters in maintaining healthy glucose metabolism.
Behavioural patterns like sleep intervals, quality, the quantity of exercise, etc., can also affect glucose metabolism.

Once someone becomes well aware of the role glucose metabolism and blood glucose levels play in weight gain, they will try harder to figure out ways to achieve blood glucose stabilisation. When using a continuous glucose monitor at all times, you will know about your blood glucose levels on a real-time basis, which can actively inspire you to work harder and achieve weight loss and better health goals.

Studies noted that around ninety per cent of CGM users felt that regular usage of the device motivated them to get a healthier lifestyle. Out of these, about 87% of people modified their food choices.

In addition, around 48% of them were willing to perform exercises and do other physical activities like walking to control the rise in blood glucose levels in their body. All such data points out nothing other than how monitoring glucose data can inspire people to achieve weight loss more than anything else.

Conclusion

Being obese or overweight may make you feel insecure. It can be the invitation to several other severe health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, hypertension, bronchitis, high cholesterol, gallstones, etc. Excessive body fat can also secure hormones like leptin and other pro-inflammatory chemicals like adipocytokines. These chemicals can cause insulin resistance, leading to unhealthy glucose metabolism.

As excess fat is related to glucose and insulin, real-time glucose level measurements are the best answer or the most valuable tool to help you achieve your weight loss goals and feel more empowered during the journey. People tend to respond positively and more effectively when they receive personalised data. They will also understand the seriousness of the issue when they see their glucose readings. Hence, it is one of the best ways to inspire people from various walks of life to bring about behavioural change to get health insights and achieve consistent weight loss outcomes in the long term.