3/9/2021 Group Meeting – Talking Continuous Glucose Monitors

In this week’s group coaching meeting, Dr. Tro and the team talked about Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM) and the valuable information they provide: how food, stress, workouts, and sleep affect your blood glucose levels. Discussion:

  • Dr. Tro started the meeting by demonstrating how to apply a CGM sensor on your arm. The CGM works by measuring your interstitial blood glucose which is not the same as serum glucose. Amy suggested considering the use of a special bandage or using crisscrossed Band-aids to help keep the CGM in place because they are easily knocked off.
  • After applying the CGM, download the CGMs app and then you can use your phone or a sensor to scan the disk and you will get a live reading of your glucose. The CGM data is then accumulated for two weeks and you can see all your trends and readings on an app. 
  • The CGM accumulates and estimates some important data. The most important data the CGM accumulates is the AGP report which shows your average glucose, glucose management indicator or GMI which is your estimated A1c, and glucose variability which is your mean blood sugar and how stable it is.
  • On Dr. Tro’s chart, he showed why his variability was up at the same time on certain days which he identified as days and times he works out. 
  • The most meaningful thing about these trends is being able to pinpoint what is going on or what you are eating that is directly causing blood sugar fluctuations. This information can help you prepare against foods and things that are causing higher readings and subsequent food cravings.
  • Dr. Tro shared screenshots showing examples of what blood glucose improvement looks like over time. A question was asked about the fluctuations after a meal — Dr. Tro explained that the CGM shouldn’t fluctuate much with a low carb meal.
  • Health coach Brian Wiley touched on his experience with wearing a CGM recently where he experimented with prepackaged keto products. It was interesting to see that even though the products did not spike his blood sugar, by the end it had raised his appetite, caused cravings, and resulted in a 3-pound gain on the scale. This showed that these foods can really drive your appetite and cause weight gain despite the non-impact on blood glucose if they are overindulged, Dr. Tro and health coach Amy Eiges also mentioned how this also happens to them even with real foods like nuts and cheese.
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