Why I Tried a CGM as an Eating Disorder Dietitian ( part 1)

Curious, cautious, and wanting to understand what our clients are facing

As an eating disorder dietitian, both in the NHS and privately, I spend a lot of time thinking about how trends and technologies affect the people I work with—especially those recovering from disordered eating. I try to approach everything I do with honesty and compassion, and when something new starts popping up in clinic more often, I like to dig into it properly.

Lately, that “something” has been continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).

They’re everywhere—on Instagram, in wellness podcasts, marketed as the answer to energy crashes, cravings, and weight control. But the clients I work with don’t always experience these things in the same way. For some, CGMs are a medical necessity (like those managing diabetes); for others, they’re another wellness tool being trialled, often with high hopes and little context.

So, I decided to try one myself.

So… why did I wear a CGM?

There were a few reasons really.

First, I wanted to know what the experience is like—because let’s face it, the marketing is slick and it’s easy to see why people are drawn to it. Second, more and more of my clients either have both eating disorders and diabetes (T1DE) I wanted to be able to support them better, and that meant really understanding what CGMs feel like and how they work.

I also know that for people struggling with their relationship with food, data can be a double-edged sword. It can offer insight—but also add fuel to the fire of obsessive thoughts, rules, and rigidity. I wanted to get a sense of how it might impact my clients.

A week in . . .

The short version? A mixed bag.

Practically speaking, the CGM got caught on my clothes a few times. I worried about it in the shower. My one-year-old was very interested in trying to pull it off. Logging food was annoying after a few days as I just didn’t have time.

There were also moments of fascination. Seeing how stable my blood sugar was and it was great to think “Wow—bodies are pretty incredible.” It gave me a renewed respect for the body’s ability to self-regulate.

But I also found myself checking it more than I expected. Trying to “make sense” of the data. That’s where I can see things getting tricky for some people—especially if they already feel like they can’t trust their body. I think this is my science brain?

What does this mean for our clients?

There are two very different, but equally important groups to think about here:

1. People with eating disorders and diabetes who need to use CGMs and may be trying to balance recovery with real clinical need.

2. People without diabetes who are trying CGMs as part of wellness or performance tracking—sometimes with the hope that it will help them “control” food, energy, or weight.

   
   

In both groups, CGMs are more than just numbers on a screen. They can impact how someone thinks, feels, and behaves. And unless we’re helping people process the data with context and care, they can risk reinforcing food rules or feeding into an eating disorder mindset.

Is the research helpful?

Honestly? It’s still developing. But it’s fascinating.

That’s why I’m running a webinar with Beth Francois where we’ll explore what the research is saying—and what it isn’t. We’ll look at CGMs through the lens of eating disorders and recovery, and ask some big questions about how we use these tools in clinical practice.

Join our upcoming webinar!

If this topic resonates with you, or you're working in this space, you’re warmly invited to join our upcoming webinar: Data or Danger? CGMs in the Context of Eating Disorders & Disordered Eating

We’ll be digging deeper into the risks, the nuances, and the considerations we must have when thinking about CGMs in the context of recovery, body trust, and nourishment.