Welcome to the sixth week of my Nutrisense journey! My name is Logan, and I am the Content Manager here at Nutrisense. This week is the official halfway mark of my twelve-week journey with the CGM [Continuous Glucose Monitor] and Nutrisense program! It’s hard to believe that I have been working toward my goals for an entire six weeks, but it’s also hard to believe that I am down 11.5lbs and can exercise without breaks now.This week provided proof that the changes I have made to my habits are truly paying off. I was presented with two challenges and somehow still came out on top. I lost another 0.5lbs AND completed four 25 minute workouts without completely losing my breath or pausing to take a break.
Rusty Wreaks Havoc:
I take my dog, Rusty, to the park a few times a week. We were playing tug of war while I sat on the ground when he accidentally pawed off the CGM on my arm. In the last six weeks, I have had no issue with the CGM peeling or falling off. I wasn’t sure what to do and immediately messaged Carlee, the dietitian that I work with from Nutrisense. She messaged me back almost immediately and had a CGM shipped out to me the following day to replace my lost one. This means that again this week, I had days that my glucose levels weren’t being recorded into the Nutrisense app.
I was concerned that because I would have to get a replacement, I might lose an entire week of data. However, the new CGM arrived very quickly. Nutrisense had it overnighted so that I could replace it quickly and get back to recording my data. I was so appreciative of how quick of a turnaround I had between the one that got ripped off and applying the new one.
After I got the package in the mail with the new sensor, I asked Carlee if she had any tips for applying the new one after what had happened. She had some great advice to share.
Tips for Applying Your CGM:
- Make sure to exfoliate your skin before applying the sensor if you have oily skin
- Shave the area that you put the CGM on. This can help alleviate pain when removing the sensor or if it’s ripped off, like what happened to me. [My experience is that taking off the sensor is like ripping a Band-Aid off, but if you have sensitive skin, this might be helpful for you.]
- Ensure that your skin is dry; this means not applying it immediately after a shower or a bath.
- If you have an active lifestyle, including playing with large pets, use a skin protection barrier like Skin Tac wipes or Skin Prep wipes before application.
- If something causes the sensor to be ripped off, apply the new sensor to a different spot on your body if there is any irritation.
- Swap sides [I put mine on my arm] every other time you apply a sensor
Wedding Bells:
Over the weekend, I had another celebration to attend. My friends got married, and the wedding was out of town, meaning that all of my meals would be served at the celebration, and there would be an open bar. Before I began this program, I drank more regularly, but as a side effect of my focus on health during this program, I hadn’t had beer or cocktails in several weeks.
Alcohol can break down into large amounts of glucose, but I wanted to experiment this weekend and have some fun with all of my old friends. So, I consulted with Carlee, and we discussed tips and tricks for attending events like this and drinking.
Tips For Keeping Your Blood Sugar In Check While Consuming Alcohol:
- Avoid beer and cider. These drinks are carbohydrate-heavy and quickly break down into large amounts of sugar.
- Avoid sugary mixers like sodas and juice. Soda and juice are also high in fructose which is metabolized in your liver. Combining them with alcohol can put a lot of pressure on your liver, in addition to causing higher glucose responses.
- Drink hard alcohol neat or on the rocks.
- If drinking a spirit neat or on the rocks isn’t your thing, try mixing it with club soda or water and adding a little citrus.
- Dry wines are a good option. These can be a good substitute for beer or cider.
- Limit the number of carbs you are eating. Stick to lean proteins and vegetables.
Luckily, my go-to is tequila neat, so I felt like starting this experiment with an advantage. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my levels did not spike over the weekend when I was drinking. I had a blast at the wedding and almost subconsciously ate protein-rich meals and avoided all of the starches offered as sides. I guess my new habits, levels of activity, and dietary changes have genuinely become second nature.
Monday: 1544kCals recorded
I splurged and had a cheeseburger and fries for lunch. I made chicken with vegetables and rice for dinner.
Tuesday: 1321kCals
On Tuesday, I had a chicken burrito for lunch and made chicken with broccoli for dinner.
Wednesday: 0kCals recorded
Nothing logged because of my sensor being replaced.
Thursday: 0kCals recorded
Nothing logged because of my sensor being replaced.
Friday: 1736kCals recorded
Friday was a day of travel and day 1 of the wedding. I had a protein shake for breakfast and exercised on my bike before I left. I had some chips for a road trip port and skipped lunch. They served tacos for dinner, and I had a few drinks.
Saturday: 1756kCals recorded
I had a bagel and cream cheese for breakfast before the wedding. 379 Lunch was a chicken sandwich. 468 I had a beer at the reception and opted for the salmon and vegetables. 604
Sunday: 1394kCals recorded
On Sunday, I kept things pretty light and skipped dinner. I had a bagel and cream cheese before leaving the hotel and grabbed some tacos for lunch.
Feeling Good!
Two of the most important things to me when I began this program were my weight and energy levels while exercising. However, the most important thing was making this program a lifestyle change that could be sustainable. I know that I spoke about this during my birthday week, but this matter came up again this week when I was looking at spending the weekend with friends and family for the wedding.
Using the CGM and looking at my data while carrying out my routine and going to special events has shown me that I can live a “normal life” according to my standards and continue to become healthier and fitter.
I’m ending this week not only feeling more confident and more physically in shape but feeling relieved that I am becoming healthier AND continuing to enjoy the things that matter to me.
Check out my vlog above, where I’ll go into more detail about my week and the wedding. Join me on my weight loss journey by clicking this link: https://nutrisense.io?code=LOGANF
Engage with Your Blood Glucose Levels with Nutrisense
Your blood sugar levels can significantly impact how your body feels and functions. That’s why stable blood glucose levels can be an important factor in supporting overall wellbeing.
With Nutrisense, you’ll be able to track your blood glucose levels over time using a CGM, so you can make lifestyle choices that support healthy living.
When you join the Nutrisense CGM program, our team of credentialed dietitians and nutritionists are available for additional support and guidance to help you reach your goals.
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Carlee's training at Western Illinois University and an internship at the Memphis VA Hospital lead her to a career in outpatient counseling and bariatric nutrition therapy. In these positions, Carlee realized many of the disease states (upwards of 80%!) her patients experienced were actually preventable. She knew she had to dig deeper into preventative health and has since been passionate about helping people translate this complex glucose data into actionable changes anyone can implement into their everyday lives.
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