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Things to try with your CGM

You look like a person who is ready to start seeing the glucose in your body.

By now, you’re wearing your continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and you’re ready to go.

Here are three easy (and dare we say, fun?) activities to get you started on your journey to better glucose and improving your type 2. You can print out this page and take notes or just use a separate sheet of paper or notebook.

Your CGM will show you how all KINDS of things – food, stress, sleep, movement and more – affect your glucose. As you’ll learn in Level2, seeing your glucose is the first step to changing it, and that’s what we’re all here for.

ACTIVITY 1

Invite your CGM to Breakfast

There’s a good chance that your everyday breakfast includes carbohydrates (for example, banana, oatmeal, toast, waffles, cereal, granola bar, bagels, etc.) because that’s a pretty normal breakfast for a lot of us.

Some things to consider:
Was your glucose below 180? Congrats! You found a food that works well for your body.
Was it above 180? Then you went out of range (and that’s typical for many people when they eat carbohydrates). Ideally, you should keep your glucose between 70 and 180 mg/dL, which is what the American Diabetes Association calls “Time in Range” and is the healthy place to be.

Next up:
Try this activity again tomorrow at breakfast with a different food (maybe something with fewer carbs — for example, eggs, bacon, cottage cheese, berries, etc.) or try the next activity.

Go ahead and start your day eating your normal breakfast, but first, read these directions:

  1. Write down your glucose before you eat your breakfast.
  2. Enjoy your meal and record the time when you finish eating.
  3. Wait 2-3 hours. (Just go about your day during this time!)
  4. After 2-3 hours, look back at your CGM readings.
  5. Write down your highest glucose level.
    1. Was it above 180?
    2. How long did it take to come back down?

Woot! You completed your first activity – well done!

ACTIVITY 2

Food Order

Pick a meal and try to eat your food in a specific order. Pro tip? Eating your carbs after your protein has been known to help lower glucose.

Some things to consider:

  • Was your glucose below 180? Congrats! That means eating the protein first worked well for your body, which is awesome news.
  • Was it above 180? Then you went out of range. Ideally, you should keep your glucose between 70 and 180 mg/dL, which is what the American Diabetes Association calls “Time in Range” and is the healthy place to be. It’s OK because everyone’s body is different, and there are other ways to stay in range.

Read these instructions and give it a try:

  1. Pick a meal. (Dinner is a good one because you probably have more than one type of food on your plate.)
  2. Write down your glucose before you eat your meal.
  3. Eat your protein first, then your carbs (for example, eat all your chicken before pasta or bread) and record the time you finish eating.
  4. Wait 2-3 hours. (No need to do anything specific here. Just live your life!)
  5. After 2-3 hours, look back at your CGM readings.
  6. Write down your highest glucose level.
    1. Was it above 180?
    2. How long did it take to come back down?

Nice job finishing that second activity!

Next up:
Try this activity again but combine it with the next activity in this booklet.

ACTIVITY 3

Walk after Dinner

Moving your body after you eat can help lower your glucose. Want to test it out on your own body? In this activity, you’ll eat a dinner that is typical for you, and then go for a walk (but only if your doctor is comfortable with you doing so).

Some things to consider:

  • Was your glucose below 180? That means that moving after your meal was a good decision. Well done!
  • Then you went out of range. Ideally, you should keep your glucose between 70 and 180 mg/dL, which is what the American Diabetes Association calls “Time in Range” and is the healthy place to be. It’s OK because everyone’s body is different, and there are other ways to stay in range.

Read these instructions and give it a try:

  1. Eat dinner.
  2. Wait 15 minutes (that’s the typical amount of time it takes for glucose to enter the blood stream).
  3. Then go for a walk. Walk for a minimum of 15 minutes.
  4. Wait 2 hours. (Go about your evening, whatever that means for you.)
  5. After 2 hours, look back at your CGM readings.
  6. Write down your highest glucose level.
  7. Was it above 180?
  8. How long did it take to come back down?

Great — you totally crushed it with that activity!

Next up:
Try this again but combine it with another of our activities (such as Food Order) or try another activity eating different foods.

Level2 is here for you.

Get started on your journey

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