Diabetes is unbelievable common. According to American Diabetes Associationnearly 7 million people in the United States are undiagnosed, with 1 in 3 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 watching what you eat (carefully, carefully).

Over the past few years, the tools that diabetics use to help manage their condition have become more widely available. Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) such as Abbott Lingo and the Dexcom Stela used to be available only by prescription. Now you can buy them on Amazonmore and more people are realizing that eating like a diabetic is not a bad idea. It is not revolutionary to say that prioritizing lean protein and fiber-rich vegetables and developing an exercise habit will help you become leaner.

You can buy a Stelo or Lingo sensor a la carte, so to speak. Each have their own proprietary apps, and both also come with a wide variety of fitness tracker so you can easily track your glucose. Signos is a separate service that has partnered with Dexcom to use the Stelo sensors. A monthly Signos subscription includes two sensors (you have to replace the sensor every two weeks) and access to an AI-enabled weight loss management platform that offers insights, and plans, in addition to 24/7 glucose tracking.

Full disclosure: I’m not actively trying to lose weight, but I know my eating habits could be healthier. I was hoping to be more skeptical about this, because when I tried CGMs in the past, I had the perfect one. lost my mind. But talking to a dietitian while trying Signos gave me a different perspective.

How to Use

Photo: Adrienne So

First, you install the Signo app on your phone (iOS, Android). Then you place the CGM on your skin. CGMs work by using a dispenser to insert a small needle only in your subcutaneous tissue to measure the glucose in your interstitial fluid (ISF). (Every company calls it a filament so it’s not scary, but yes, it’s a needle.)

CGMs are a little trickier to use than traditional finger prick blood tests. (The gold standard is the venous blood draw, but I already have it enough of those for now.) It takes time for glucose to diffuse into your ISF, and readings can vary greatly.

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