Roz on using CGM Sensors to Lose Weight

"I've gone from about 95 kilos to 89kg, which is great. But, I know there's more to the world than your weight and your dress size. My body image is slowly improving during my journey, and I'm happy about that.”

Tell us a bit more about yourself and why you signed up for Vively

I signed up for Vively with a very specific purpose in mind. I was diagnosed with insulin resistance about five years ago. It was a long journey to get to that diagnosis.

I've always struggled with losing weight. I had that classic thing where it doesn't matter how hard I exercise or how good my diet is, I can't lose weight. You always carry it with you and it's very hard.

It's taken me a very long time to get an answer, as well as lots of money spent on dietitians and diet plans. I would say that I've probably spent upwards of $10,000 on my weight loss journey.

I tried medications that are more geared to diabetes, but I don't have diabetes or even pre-diabetes. So, those didn't work for me. With Saxenda, I only lost a couple of kilograms and it gave me massive welts across my stomach every time I got the injections. So, it wasn't worth it.

I've recently gone onto Ozempic. That has been a great help to lose weight. But the supply issues are pretty awful, especially for someone like me who isn’t diabetic or pre-diabetic. This is why I came to Vively.

I wanted to find out what is going on with my blood glucose levels and whether there's other measures that I can take. My aim is to not have to continue with Ozempic.

What did you learn about yourself using Vively and the CGM system?

The CGM sensor was really, really helpful. Firstly, I found that I'm very hyperglycaemic so I get spikes and big drops. It can happen with some unexpected foods.

But, the biggest thing I found is that exercise has an enormous impact on me. I exercise pretty regularly, on average between 30-60 minutes a day. I noticed that if I do that exercise in the mornings instead of the afternoon or evening, my blood sugar levels even out for the rest of the day. This was a big surprise for me.

Have you implemented any new healthy habits since using the Vively app?

I've really been focusing on trying to make sure that I allow time for physical activity in the morning. I’m also just trying to make sure I keep on top of my diet. Especially when holidays roll around and suddenly the kids are around all the time. It's not quite so easy to be as careful.

I don't ever want to count calories and macros because that can really get to an obsessive point for me. I just want to eat healthy food, minimise processed foods and generally develop a good set of habits — the CGM device has helped me with that.

I also noticed that mid-afternoon I get a big energy drop. It was really interesting to see that it is often blood sugar related. I’ve found that getting up and moving around the house helps with this and has made a positive difference to how I feel in the afternoons.

What changes have you noticed in yourself?

I've gone from about 95 kilos to 89kg, which is great. Hopefully, if I keep on working with it I can keep it under control.

The messaging that you get from the world about weight is very tough. But, I know there's more to the world than your weight and your dress size. My body image is slowly improving during my journey, and I'm happy about that.

What’s next for you on your journey?

I want to explore the impact of my menstrual cycle on my blood glucose readings. I've known since I was very young that two weeks after having my period, I lose weight really easily. Then in the two weeks leading up to it, I could eat air and still gain weight.

I would love to actually have that data and see what's going on during that period of time. It would make an enormous difference to me.