How Mike reversed Type 2 diabetes and lost 52 pounds
After a heart attack at 48 and an A1C of 11.3, this software coach fought for access to glucose data—and transformed his health in just four months.
Who: Mike Marcil
Time with Levels: 6 months
Most Useful Takeaway: Morning cortisol levels kept his glucose elevated for hours, making breakfast counterproductive for his metabolism. Learning this through CGM data led him to discover that intermittent fasting was key to his success.
What was your health background before joining Levels?
I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2020. For four-plus years after that, I experimented with a ton of different things. I would read books, make changes to my diet, lose a couple of pounds, but I would always hover in the 240 to 260 range, and just couldn't figure it out.
Then, in February 2022, at 48 years old, I had a heart attack. They had to resuscitate me because my heart stopped. I ended up in the hospital with a stent, and I had six people in white lab coats standing in my small hospital room telling me, "You're going to be on medications for the rest of your life. If you don't take these medications, you're going to have another heart attack, or you're going to have a stroke, or something worse."
I had to take eight pills in the morning and three in the afternoon---metformin, a beta blocker, Eliquis, a statin for cholesterol, baby aspirin. The whole nine yards. My diabetes had gotten severe---at one point, my A1C was 11.3, which put me in the critically diabetic range.
What obstacles did you face getting a CGM?
I had been following people like Casey Means on social media because I was interested in nutrition and diabetes content---I didn't want to be sick anymore. After learning about continuous glucose monitors through Casey's content and the Levels podcast, I knew I wanted to get one.
I remember the day---February 19---I got into an argument with my cardiologist because I just didn't want to be on so many meds anymore. I wanted more control over my health. So I walked out of that appointment and went straight to a Quest Labs to get my blood work done. When I got the results the next day, they were bad. I reached out to my primary care doctor and said, "Will you please prescribe a CGM for me?" He denied it.
I said, "Screw this, I'm just going to do it." In my mind, I thought Levels was going to be this multi-thousand-dollar thing. I was shocked when I found out it's $200 for the app and $200 a month. I thought, "I could move some stuff around and get $200 a month."
What surprised you about your blood sugar responses?
When I got the sensor and started logging food, a lot of "healthy" food was making me spike. I was eating Ezekiel bread, thinking it was no carbs. I was eating potato and rice in small doses. I was eating blueberries and strawberries because they're supposed to be low glycemic. I ate mostly vegetables in mass quantities, but I wasn't getting results.
When I got the glucose data, I could map it out better. I could say, "Oh, well, I thought this was good for me, but here's what happened."
The biggest discovery was about timing. It took about two or three weeks of experimenting with different foods at different times to learn that cortisol levels wake me up and keep my glucose higher in the morning for a prolonged period. Because I have low testosterone, there was nothing to combat the high cortisol. It turns out that eating in the morning is not good for my metabolism.
What results have you seen?
After just 30 days, I wanted another set of labs. I asked the doctor first---he said no. So I said, "Screw it. How much is a lab test?" I looked it up on Quest---couple hundred bucks, done.
My A1C had come down to 5.9. It was 6.6 thirty days ago. That motivated me even more, and I started adding exercise and honing in on the data, just paying attention and listening to my body.
When I went to see my primary doctor, I was down to 219 pounds from 252---that was in three months. In June, I got more labs done, and my A1C was 5.3. As of this morning, I'm at 200.8 pounds. Since February 19, I've lost 52 pounds.
How has this transformation affected your daily life?
My thinking is clearer, the brain fog has lifted, I'm processing things better. I'm a better employee, I'm a better husband, I'm a better dad. My labs are better than most non-diabetics.
I feel like I've been poisoning myself for 40 years, and the poison was what was stopping me from realizing my potential. I feel amazing right now. I have boundless energy, and I'm so much more capable.
When they put me on eight drugs after my heart attack, that was the first time I ever felt weak. I actually tore apart our yard because I felt so weak that I couldn't take care of my property. I ripped out all the bushes and hedges because I didn't have the strength to maintain them.
Now I spend 80% of my time in the yard taking care of it, because I actually feel stronger than I ever have. I spend two to three hours a day either walking, working out, or making sure that I'm moving.
What would you tell others who are struggling with similar health issues?
You deserve to have the choice on how to use your data when it comes to your health. It saddens me that the system would push against something so amazingly helpful.
For me, it was Levels and the data that unlocked it. It was watching what my body was doing. Now I have the power to make good decisions---I didn't have that power before.
You aren't stuck. The system is designed to make you feel helpless or, even worse, hopeless. I always had the choice to take control of my health, even though I didn't have the tools before, and even though I didn't believe I had the choice. You deserve better---and it's up to you to go get it because the system won't do it for you.
Take control of your health with Levels
Levels pairs real-time glucose data and comprehensive lab testing with clinician analysis and personalized support—everything you need to turn insights into real health improvements. Click here to get started with Levels.
