Signos vs Levels

Signos vs Levels

Maintaining a healthy weight is a frustrating challenge for millions of Americans. The only technology available to guide weight loss in the past was the bathroom scale or calorie-counting diets. Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) track your glucose levels in real time. While they have traditionally been used by people who are living with diabetes, CGMs can also be used to inform a person's understanding of how their body responds to the foods they eat, sleep, stress, and more.

What’s a CGM?

A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is a tiny wearable device that reads your glucose levels in real-time. It is attached to your body (usually worn on the upper arm or the stomach) and continually monitors how much glucose you have circulating in your body at any time without painful finger sticks. A CGM has two parts - a sensor and a transmitter. The sensor is worn under your skin, and the transmitter sends results to a wearable device or cell phone. You keep the continuous glucose monitor on at all times, including in the shower, when getting your sweat on, and when you sleep.

The sensor can stay in place between 10 and 14 days before it needs to be replaced. The exact duration depends on the manufacturer, but you will be alerted when it’s time to replace the sensor. When taking it off, just peel off the adhesive like you would peel off a bandaid.

Studies reveal that non-diabetics have larger fluctuations in their glucose levels than previously thought, and finding ways to stabilize glucose proves beneficial for health in many ways, such as:

• Weight loss
• Weight maintenance
• Building muscle
• Consistent energy and mental focus
• Optimal fuelling strategy for peak athletic performance
• Lower and control inflammation
• High-functioning immune system
• Lower risk of chronic diseases

As we wait for more peer-reviewed studies on the benefits of CGM use in non-diabetics, a CGM program can provide visibility into how everyday life, such as quality of sleep, getting cut off on the freeway, or enjoying a still-warm cookie, affect your glucose. This personalized blood glucose data can prove invaluable for weight loss efforts and a better quality of life.

This article will compare Signos and Levels CGM programs to review how they work, the cost, and other key features, and how you can determine which might be a better fit for you. While both these programs utilize CGMs to provide glucose data, there are significant differences in their focus and features.

What CGMs are currently available?

A CGM provides people with information about how their bodies manage blood sugar throughout the day in response to one’s daily activities. Food, sleep, exercise, and stress all impact blood sugar in specific ways, some of which as unique to the individual. Wearing a CGM provides a new way to understand how an individual’s metabolism functions. 

There are two main CGM manufacturers in the US: Dexcom and Abbott. For this article, we will focus on the Dexcom G6 and Abbott Freestyle Libre, which are both the most common models and the ones currently used by Levels Health and Signos.

The Dexcom G6 has Bluetooth capabilities that ensure an individual's data is accessible in real-time (i.e., measurements are taken every 5 minutes) and sent seamlessly to a phone or other device for easy and immediate data access.  While the application process is smooth and painless, the Dexcom G6 has two parts: the transmitter and the sensor.

One of the biggest differences between the Dexcom G6 and the Abbott Freestyle Libre is that the Freestyle Libre requires users to actively scan the CGM with a mobile device to access data. Data can be lost if an individual does not scan the CGM frequently or during sleep cycles longer than 8 hours.

Why do I need a CGM program?

Now that you know all about CGMs, you may be wondering what the value is when signing up for a CGM program, like Signos or Levels Health, and why you couldn’t do this on your own.

People wear CGMs without an accompanying CGM program, but they must do all the work to connect the dots between what they’re doing or eating and the glucose response. They also lack guidance on what to do with the data they are receiving from the CGM. A CGM program will take all the guesswork out of what action steps you should prioritize to achieve better health.

CGM manufacturer apps, like the Dexcom mobile app, have a more limited feature set focused on the needs of people living with diabetes who primarily use CGMs for glucose monitoring and insulin dosing. For example, on the Dexcom mobile app, you can view your blood glucose levels, but you cannot log your food or sleep and see how these activities directly correlate with spikes or drops in your measurements.

A CGM program, like Signos, can help you understand how lifestyle choices directly influence blood glucose levels and can help you identify trends among your eating patterns, sleep cycles, and more. By focusing on small changes and better, glucose data-driven accountability, you are likely more able to reach your health goals in a sustainable way that will persist over the long term.

Overview of Levels

Levels Health is a health and fitness company that helps people improve their metabolic health. Their continuous glucose monitor program seeks to provide members with insight into their health using personalized data.

Members of the Levels program can opt to receive a CGM and get access to an app to track their health data. They can also access a nutritionist marketplace to pay for one-on-one support for an additional fee.

In comparison, the Signos CGM program also offers continuous glucose monitors for all members and access to their app-based program to track their data and program success. Each Signos member has direct access to registered dieticians and customer support staff without paying an additional fee. This support system is critical in helping members interpret their data and creating healthier, long-term habits.

An Inside Look: Levels CGM Program

People who sign up for the Levels Health CGM program can track their biometric data measured by the CGM. Like other CGM programs, the Levels program allows you to track glucose levels as you eat, exercise, sleep, and go about your day. The Levels program focuses on providing users with a metabolic snapshot and insight more specific to athletic performance and recovery.

This program also has two CGM options—real-time streaming (Dexcom G6) or manual scanning (Freestyle Libre). While both CGMs can track the same information, the manual device needs to be scanned every few hours using your phone, while the real-time streaming option sends the information via Bluetooth.

Levels members also have the option to track additional health data through lab testing and access to metabolic specialists; however, these features all come at an extra charge on top of the membership fee.

Pricing

Initial Cost

Levels Health offers an app subscription for $199/year. This subscription includes access to the Levels app for 12 months and coach-led programs for generalized wellness coaching.

However, if you want to enroll in their CGM program, the total will be $398 for the first month. The CGM kit will cost $199 a month following the first charge. This initial total covers three CGMs, a one-month supply ($199), and a 12-month membership to the Levels program.

Pros

Apple Health integrations

Food and exercise logging

Lab testing offered for an additional fee

The choice between 2 CGMs: Dexcom G6 and FreeStyle Libre 2

Cons

Nutrition coaches are available for an additional fee and set their rates

Limited food database

Freestyle Libre requires scanning versus the automatic Bluetooth integration of the Dexcom

Multiple metrics are tracked within the app, which can be helpful but also confusing to know which metric to focus on for your goals

Limited pricing plans are available

12-month membership is required and paid for upfront

Overview of Signos

Signos is available to non-diabetic adults and people living with non-insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes who want to focus on weight management.

When a member purchases the Signos CGM program, they will receive the Dexcom CGM and can begin tracking their daily habits, such as nutrition, activity, and sleep, in the Signos app.

Signos is the only company that combines a CGM with an AI-driven app to deliver real-time glucose monitoring for optimal health and weight management.

Through Signos, you can translate your unique metabolic signals into timely recommendations for eating, exercise, and better health.

As members begin their Signos journeys, they log what they eat, allowing the Signos platform to learn each person’s glucose reaction to specific foods. Once calibrated, Signos uses that data to provide personalized nutrition suggestions, including which foods are best for each member to eat and when to exercise to bring glucose levels back within their optimal weight loss range.

Throughout the member’s subscription, they can access a registered dietitian within the app for additional nutrition guidance.

An Inside Look: Signos CGM Program

Unlike Levels, whose program focuses on athletes and performance enhancement, Signos’ main focus is to help people who are seeking weight loss and improved metabolic health. When you become a Signos member, you’ll get 24/7 access to the Signos app, plus a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Signos teaches you how to understand and act on your glucose data to become the healthiest version of you, as well as sends you alerts whenever your glucose spikes out of your optimal range to ensure you meet your wellness goals.

Within the Signos app, you can log hydration, weight, exercise, sleep, and meals. Going beyond just logging, the app learns more about you and your body the more data you log within the app.

For example, as you log workouts, the Signos AI learns how your glucose responds to each workout you track. When your glucose spikes, the Signos app predicts how hard and long you’ll need to work to reduce your glucose. When logging meals before you sit down and eat, the Signos app will also predict your glucose response. While the main program is focused on metabolic health and weight management, members set their own goals within the app.

Signos also provides daily activities within the app to help members understand the connections between their existing habits and glucose reactions. This helps members recognize the difference between physical hunger and emotional eating habits and unlocks actionable, small steps that members can take to start improving their metabolic health.

Pricing

Pros

Apple Health and Google Health Connect integrations

Real-time data with no need to manually scan the CGM sensor

Complimentary access to registered nutritionists

Rapid rise glucose notifications with exercise recommendations

A personalized metabolic profile

Easy-to-use app experience

Daily activities to help members better understand the connection between their habits and glucose responses

No mandatory annual membership fee for utilizing the Signos program

Flexible pricing plans that vary based on commitment level

Offers receipts for HSA/FSA reimbursement depending on your plans

Cons

Currently, no lab testing

Dexcom sensor calibration takes 2 hours

Why You Should Choose Signos

With complimentary access to real human dietitians and nutritionists, you will receive more value from the Signos app. Signos goes beyond giving you the data from a CGM; it empowers you to create an action plan to build sustainable, long-term habits that support your wellness goals.

Signos’ CGM program allows you to track your sleep, exercise, hydration, and more. The Signos app also syncs with popular devices such as an Apple Watch, Samsung, and Fitbit. This seamless integration lets you track and view your health data in one central location.

With a CGM that provides real-time data, you can start to recognize patterns and how your environment and behavior directly affect your glucose levels.

Lastly, Signos offers in-app activities that foster a spirit of experimentation and allow you to learn more about your body, metabolic health, and overall wellness. Signos understands that wellness is a long-term process and is here to support you, no matter your goal.