Sugar belly-gone!

Any time we try a healthy new way of eating, it's easy for doubt to creep in. Is it really working? Is it worth it? Does it even matter if I give up? "That's why a continuous glucose monitor, or CGM, is such a game changer," says New York obesity specialist Tro Kalayjian, D.O., who personally used a CGM while shedding 150 pounds. "It lets you see how your body is responding to what you eat in real time, which is extremely motivating." So much so that studies show people burn three times more sugar-related belly fat while wearing a CGM. And the devices are now affordable and available without a prescription. Keep reading to see if one might be right for you.

- -BY ALLISON NEMETZ

What exactly is a CGM? It’s a tiny sensor painlessly inserted in your arm. “It then transmits your blood sugar level to an app on your phone,” says Dr. Tro. “You not only see how your blood sugar responds to food but also how it responds to exercise, stress and sleep.” (More in the box at right.)

CGMs were originally created to help diabetics manage their condition, “but we’ve found that patients who aren’t diabetic are able to lose excess pounds faster if they wear one,” shares Dr. Tro, host of the Low Carb MD podcast. And that’s particularly true if you struggle with stubborn ab fat.

Sugar belly 101

In case you didn’t know, both kale and Doritos contain carbs that the body will turn into blood sugar to use as fuel. Gentle rises in blood sugar are natural after meals, says Dr. Tro.

What isn’t natural: Harvard research shows 42% of our calories now come from highly processed carbs like Doritos, white bread and cola—foods that lack nutrients to slow their conversion to blood sugar. “So instead of gentle rises, we get sharp spikes,” the doc notes. These spikes trigger a surge of insulin, the hormone tasked with keeping sugar at safe levels. It sends some sugar to muscles to be burned; the rest goes to insulin-friendly fat tissue around our middle. “Like so many people, I personally once had a ‘sugar belly,’” admits Dr. Tro.