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Over the past few years, I’ve seen a growing number of wellness and fitness influencers screaming about fixing their metabolism. For some people, that means selling supplements like Foodology’s Colology Cutting Jelly, NAD+ pills to improve insulin sensitivity, or powders that claim to “balance your hormones.” Right now, my TikTok FYP is full of girls talking about the viral Korean Switch-On Diet — a brutal diet of intermittent fasting, protein shakes, and tofu. An obesity researcher has reportedly designed a diet that will “reset your metabolism.”
It’s easy to get carried away by these diet trends. What impresses me is the rhetoric. “Optimizing Your Metabolism.” What is the goal behind this? And where my alarm bells start ringing is when the algorithm pops up in a video of an influencer talking about optimizing their metabolism using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM).
CGMs are small wearable devices that measure glucose levels in the interstitial fluid just beneath your skin. They are life-saving tools for diabetics, and now that they are available over the counter, they can be a helpful tool for people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes who are not insulin dependent. Their usefulness here is undeniable.
A big question – and one I’ve been investigating for more than a year – is whether there are any tangible benefits for people who don’t have diabetes or pre-diabetes. I’ll delve deeper into this soon, but for now, let me tell you that CGM use last year almost destroyed my relationship with food.
I think a lot about food before any vacation. In some years, these are all I think about. But not jokingly, “Oh, I can’t wait for stuffing or a slice of pumpkin pie!” Kind of. Think more about this hellish “What will I allow myself to eat?” or “Is there a race I can sign up for to minimize the damage?”
I hardly think I’m alone in this. Whether it’s for weight loss or to manage a condition, anyone who’s been on a diet will tell you that holiday feasts can be a major source of anxiety. Indulging in deliciousness can trigger waves of guilt, especially if you struggle to manage portions. Personal discipline is also not always a good thing. I’ll never forget the hurt look on my mom’s face when I refused to take a piece of Junior’s cheesecake that she bought. Now! A Christmas for me.
I wore a CGM to Thanksgiving dinner last year. My relatives were curious, but they treated me cautiously. But I noticed that I was reluctant to eat certain foods, knowing how they could spike my glucose. Generally, I enjoy mashed potatoes with gravy. I Love Spray Ocean Spray canned cranberry jelly all over my body. Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows is fantastic. To welcome my spouse, my Korean family even cooked up a pretzel salad – an unholy Southern blend of Cool Whip, cream cheese, frozen strawberries, crushed pretzels in butter, and Jell-O(Yes, my in-laws insist that this is a “salad” and is served as a meal, not as a dessert,)
Instead of stacking my plate with my favorites, I had half a plate Real Salad, dressing on the side, a quarter plate of protein, and a dollop of canned cranberry jelly. I drank half a glass of wine all night. When my aunt became frustrated and tried to get me to eat more, I checked two different CGM apps to see if I could get another plate. I argued with myself in my mind. Maybe I can? I ran my traditional turkey trot that morning, and even though I enjoyed one of Wawa’s Gobbler Bowls afterward, it only cost 620 calories and caused a minor spike in glucose. I went into dinner with extremely low glucose levels. Perhaps I could run some errands and offer to go for a quiet 10-15 minute walk before leaving?
Then, in the morning, I won’t have to rationalize the less-than-favorable summary as “a one-time vacation.” I can safely say that I had a “healthy” Thanksgiving. Doctors often recommend filling your plate with leafy vegetables, prioritizing protein and fiber, and limiting processed sugars. All the things that I did. I was training regularly And Ran a 5K that morning. Research has shown that taking a walk after a meal can significantly boost your metabolism. It’s good to limit alcohol.
I had half A second plate, mostly to appease my aunt, and left half of my dessert. At the end of the night my glucose chart was looking good. I resolved to do better on Christmas. True to my word, I did exactly that a month later. And on my birthday. For later, I didn’t let myself eat cake.
A year later, I have time to reflect. On the surface, I crushed the holidays last year. In fact, I didn’t enjoy a single bite. I didn’t appreciate the effort my family put into home-cooked meals. I don’t even remember how much time I spent with my loved ones – my brain was too busy worrying about my glucose levels. and for what? After so many months, was my metabolism really fine customized,
Ironically, after I lost about 15 pounds pre-CGM testing, I started gaining weight. I found that I often skipped meals, especially breakfast. It was frustrating to deprive myself of the occasional dessert or after-dinner snack and still wake up with glucose levels higher than ideal. I found ways to avoid eating out or socializing. It wasn’t until my running performance started getting really good that I realized I was slipping back into old disordered eating habits – the ones I’d worked on. difficult Came back for kicks and so quietly. Things weren’t adding up. I scheduled a doctor’s appointment soon after. Two months and many tests later, we are still trying to figure out why my metabolism is not working as it should and how to address it.
This is not an outright dismissal of CGM. Like any wearable item, they are a tool. I believe wholeheartedly that many people – especially self-quantifying nerds and people making lifestyle changes – may find them helpful. Sure enough, I am working with my doctor to find a successful treatment, this is a positive result.
We need to think seriously about when, how and by whom these devices are used. CGMs can help many non-diabetics. they will also inevitably Injury Some people. That’s why when earlier this year, Health Secretary RFK Jr. suggested that every American should use wearables, I reacted so sharply, particularly highlighting CGMs as a means of “taking responsibility” over their health. The understanding that these gadgets are backed by scientific research adds another layer of complexity. Yes, it has a strong scientific basis. Yes, CGMs can be powerful tools. But they are not a panacea for any metabolic problem.
I’m lucky and self-aware enough to recognize when tools are using me. And yet, it still took me several months to realize that I was No Someone who can use a CGM healthily during the holidays. For me, optimizing my metabolism isn’t something I can do with just a gadget. This is all my expertise in this field Not there. Make me immune from health worries.
By the time you read this, I will have already run the Turkey Trot and eaten Thanksgiving dinner. I would not have worn a CGM. I suspect I may have struggled a bit while loading my plate. But, I also hope I ate Two Bites of my canned cranberry jelly and enjoyed every bite.
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