Lumen Lets You "Hack Your Metabolism": But Does It Work, and Is It Worth $19/month?!

An easy way to see if you're currently burning fat or carbs, the Lumen offers a complete diet and metabolic gamification system. But is it worth $19/month, as well as an expensive device purchase? The numbers just don't add up for me.
Read the full review: www.makeuseof.com/lumen-metab...
Buy a Lumen tracker for yourself: www.lumen.me/

[@Stinkerbelle62]

Excellent review, straight to the facts, no showmanship, honest review.

[@plannermumsy]

The exact review I was looking for. It’s now $41/month instead of $19…..even worse for nothing. Thank you for your honest review instead of the typical canned, “it’s so great go get one” reviews.

[@rishatenae5323]

My sentiments, exactly!

[@ahx101]

Jason Fung has a $50 off promo code, bringing it down to $20.75 a month.

[@flosthebos]

Finally a review that is honest and not an obvious paid shill. The sub fee is just such a massive commitment for nothing, and you nailed it. What is the subscription for? Great video, thanks.

[@seanv5000]

It’s too bad that in order to work this requires a subscription that is around $300/year, which means this is nearly $1000 for only three years of use

[@Phatkillz]

I'm tired of all these companies tying their products to a subscription. Last month I bought a 6 month supply of biOptimizers magnesium. They tried to charge me for another 6 month supply a month later. These companies are a pathetic.

[@lissanunez832]

This!!! Yes!!!

[@smcg2490]

Brilliant review. Spot on regarding the data and subscription fees.

[@katenova7892]

Great review and honesty is greatly appreciated! I watched several reviews and they were clearly paid reviews. None of them mentioned $19/mo fee. I will keep using ketosis saliva test strips that cost $10. Thank you for making this review. "there are people who pay $40/mo for a box with a book and a bar of soap" hilarious :)

[@carolrelady11]

Yours was the only review that mentioned the monthly subscription. I watched several. Very helpful.

[@LiftYourSpiritCoaching]

Same same as the review underneath! I almost bought it because it sounded to good to be true, but after your honest and no-nonsense summary I realized again that the only way to achieve real and sustainable result/change is to learn how to truly feel yourself again (to follow your real needs instead of too much pleasure) by gaining mastery over your thoughts, feelings and actions. No device or app can compete with that 🤩👊🏼💪🏼

[@PomSptz]

Great job! This was the first video I came across that actually showed where/how the lumen is charged and how it is packaged. I enjoyed your explanation of its functionality and your experience using it. It was also good to know that it is a subscription-based device that may or may not take accurate readings. Thank you!

[@Jesstabulous]

Thank you for this review, it was exactly the type of informational use review I needed to help make my decision! All the others I watched were very sensational and clearly ad (poss paid) like but not very informative on the basic functions and day to day use and usefulness. Thank you 🙏🏻

[@PositiveMotivationWins]

Thank you. You just saved me some money. I was trying to understand this automatic charge once it was over but you cleared it up! thank you. Great review! They need to make it make sense.

[@staceyreynolds2037]

Really a great video! Thank you for taking the time to try the device and to report back!

[@tanjahassel_art]

I love your style! Thank you for the review 👍🏻

[@MJ-sr3rx]

Excellent review. It was concise and informative. Thank you.

[@BoRoKoLo]

Thank you for your honest and detailed review!!!

[@wishkc9259]

Excellent review! I rarely comment on youtube video reviews, but you did a great job - easy to understand and balanced.

[@MakeUseOf]

I appreciate that!

[@SusanLoriDodson]

Thank you, that was a brilliant review!

[@frankjolivares]

Thank you for a very honest review!! Very helpful.

[@waiheketranscend]

Excellent review. thank you very much for your work. cheers

[@keliachandler3292]

Thank for such an honest review!

[@sed777]

Great honest review. Almost all of them out there are sponsored or have a discount code. None mention the subscription fee!

[@Trevor_Green]

Good honest review. I got mine more for accountability. I find so long as someone or something is holding me accountable, I have motivation. If I leave it up to me just doing what I should, my monkey brain takes over and I eat like the world is ending. Lol They way this is marketed is the hardware is free and the cost is the monthly cost. I'm basing this on the shipping documents and the fact that there was no taxable import fees or duty (Canada). Shows device at $0 and a services line item for the full amount. A reoccurring revenue is what most businesses will shoot for as that is Significantly more stable and easier to forecast with. This also means that it's in Lumen's best interest to keep users engaged and devoted to keep paying. That's my take anyway

[@susanclark8762]

Have you lost weight. 6 months later. Are you pleased?

[@rishatenae5323]

This was Very helpful. Thank You!

[@cwingate4780]

Thank you for a good, honest review 🙂

[@SylvieonYouTube]

Excellent review!

[@uvcollector2177]

Appreciate this review

[@rebeccakemp6031]

What good is metabolic flexibility when we are not facing possible starvation? Diabetes 2 isn’t caused by metabolic inflexibility. It is caused by hyper insulinemia. Unlike Diabetes 1 our cells are not starving for glucose due to a lack of circulating insulin. Our cells are stuffed with glucose already. We need to keep carbs as low as possible to get rid of all the extra glucose and start to unpack “stored glucose”. Thx for helping us to understand the uselessness of the Lumen. We need glucose and ketone monitoring to reverse Diabetes 2 and to lose weight.

[@daliladalama6284]

Thank you for your review. I completely agree with you, it should be one or the other, get the device for free and pay $19.00 per month, or pay $300 once.

[@rwalker98]

thank you. You were spot on with the "If I told you at the start about the subscription, you would have clicked off the video". I was set to order this thing (even had their webpage opened in the background) until you informed us of the subscription. Your alternative options such as buying out right with perhaps no recipes is great! I'll pass on this device for now. Keep up the great work! Loved your review!

[@MakeUseOf]

Thank you, and sorry about keeping you hanging like that!

[@sistermuhammad498]

@@MakeUseOf Is it compatible with the Fitbit Sensor ?

[@lindadubois850]

I was going to buy Lumen but not with a subscription fee I’d rather pay 300 once

[@Neverquitoverland]

Perfect review. Best of the last 5 I just watched

[@gray308]

this device is great. i lose weight lifting and cardio. the key is watching both macros AND calories at the same time for a very powerful shredding combo. Anybody with determination can make this happen

[@NanWestLife]

Very informative! Thank you 😊

[@toastypancakes1113]

thanks for an honest review!

[@MakeUseOf]

Always!

[@maryvought9244]

Good job. Thank you!❤

[@Tabbou26]

Nice conclusion, this summarize everything

[@allyfrasier6306]

Great review. 👍

[@jennymacaluso4062]

Great review.

[@phyllismok6033]

Thanks for sharing

[@ellie1601]

Excellent user friendly review - thanks. I could prob answer some of your questions - e.g. why does it run in the cloud vs local? Because they use the data to drive research. Nothing wrong with that, findings from a study on that scale would benefit us all. But great question as to what the ongoing subscription pays for - other than an ongoing income stream for the company! There is a lot of support available I guess. Nutrition experts on hand etc. but still

[@MakeUseOf]

Data can be uploaded and synced with a cloud though, same as every other cloud service around. If I open up Gmail on my phone without an internet connection, I can still use it to read emails, or even queue up new ones to send. There's no excuse for running the entire app on the cloud and crippling it without an active connection.

[@planetmotivations411]

Honest review for sure.

[@msbeecee1]

Thorough & fair review

[@elouisesherwood1268]

Great information

[@jimprochaska5073]

Very nice review. I have had my Lumen for about 3 weeks and my experience is similar to yours. I like the device. I am currently using it with a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor.) Both are great ways of monitoring your metabolic levels. One thought I had for the variability you experienced is that our metabolism can be affected by food intake or physical activity for up to 3 to 4 days. Thanks.

[@msbeecee1]

If u could only keep one device for weight loss, between CGM & Lumen, which would u keep?

[@Stelllixx]

I ordered mine yesterday. This was before I realized I’ll be paying over $300 every year. Not going to lie it really kinda killed the mood for me. There’s no real need for that fee. I can see like $10 a year. But over $300?? We’ll see if I decide to renew it in a year lol…

[@ericlaphroiag3546]

how do you feel about it 2 months in?

[@minutemaidlemonwithice9359]

You need to lose weight

[@st.g]

Is that subscription for the plan recommendations and whatnot that goes with the reading? Or does it actually need a subscription to get your 1-5? I just ordered this with a pretty sizable discount, and I just plan to use year 1 for establishing good habits, canceling after. I imagine the device and associated Health data should still be usable...

[@jacobstravail]

@@st.g you need to have a subscription to use it. So yes you're paying over $300 just to see a number

[@Cataclysm123]

Haha, no chance, not for me. Thank you for this honest review!

[@darylmendosa676]

Thank you for a very honest review! This device not for me!!

[@PinkFlowers365]

ty

[@arjandegraaff]

If you burn carbs after fasting to long you are butning protein in your body. Also known as mussle. This is because your brain can not run on ketone alone. It needs about 30% carbs. So if you are fasting for too long it wil get those carbs from somewhere and that is from any tissue that is not fat and mostly musle

[@Milkman4279]

Yeah, i'd like to check it out, but I'm not paying that. Maybe a couple years from now when it's cheaper.

[@88107]

there is an option with the keto pen device? thank you

[@firstklasshealthandwellnes1077]

Ok, so just wanting to understand. I would pay, say, $300 upfront for the device and then an amount PER MONTH on top of that? OR...is that AFTER the entire year is up you would pay the per/month fee? GREAT video...you're chill and easy to watch/understand!

[@MakeUseOf]

Yeh, they have different upfront costs depending on how many months of service you want to lock in. So the $300 tier includes 1 year of service; they have a $250 one with 6 months, or $350 with 18 months. After that initial period is up, you either have to pay to continue using it, or it'll just stop working.

[@firstklasshealthandwellnes1077]

@@MakeUseOf okay great thanks! That's what I was wondering is after that year. Is up after paying that $300, then that's when the monthly fee kicks in. Thanks for clarifying so quickly! ❤️

[@Tpratttheoriginal1]

Where did you get it from

[@Equinoxious342]

There is a device called the Keyto on the market that does the same thing and it's a lot cheaper. It's been around for years now. Your weight came back because you didn't reduce your level of insulin resistance enough.

[@alanwolf7169]

This morning my dog (Elvis) told me that if I want to continuue to pet him, I will now have to pay monthly. $9.95, but only $99.00 annually. The greed of these companies with their subscriptions is not to be believed. Will they also want a tip, when I set up my Lumen subscription?

[@ArcherVB]

Great review, very ‘real’. Thank you for taking the time. Way to much as a regular expense. I’ll pass.

[@jakemiles1427]

I would love this but I can't afford it

[@joeoneill9555]

You were right when you said subscription. I said never mind

[@modelsupplies]

The carbs come from gluconeogenesis when you’ve been fasting for a long time. Your liver manufactures glucose out of fat.

[@blacknapalm2131]

*What a shame that a decent technical device is saddled with a rip off price and what can only be described as a SCAM subscription* A C02 analyzer is NOT an expensive piece of tech this device's price is way MORE than it should be. Basically it should cost the same as a vape. Looking forward to one at a fraction of the price with NO subscription.

[@MakeUseOf]

Expensive due to lack of competition I suspect. Do you know of any other consumer device that do this?

[@blacknapalm2131]

@@MakeUseOf Hi! No not yet but I do know there are C02 analyzers currently being made so we just need to be patient I guess. The good news is Lumen don't hold the patent on a C02 analyzer so new devices won't get sued by them haha. Thanks for the video it just saved me $$$! P.S if you are serious about losing weight go on the Keto diet and get a $100 'pin prick' blood tester to see if you are in ketosis. Its basically the same thing but you only have to do it once a week, and the best thing about Keto is the fat MELTS OFF all while you are scoffing bacon, eggs, chicken and steak. Its amazing. If that doesn't sound your thing just try cutting out all WHEAT from your diet. you would be amazed at how fattening bread is and how badly it messes up ones blood sugar, metabolism and digestive system. Just try it for a MONTH the results will shock you. Take care

[@blacknapalm2131]

@@MakeUseOf also a friend just recommended a device called a 'Keyto' its a breath device that measures ketosis without having to prick your finger lol. It's only $99 one off charge and with a FREE app. So I think this is a great alternative that I might look further into it.

[@fullercorp]

no way to a subscription. I respect the accountability idea (which is also what NOOM is) but it is always eat less, eat less, eat less (with some technical tweaking from there). Sometimes I think i should try hypnosis.

[@gray308]

not WHO KNOWS where carbo burning comes in during fasting. dig. fasting can become stressful to the body which causes cortisol production that turns into carbos

[@modelsupplies]

Low carb is about eliminating sugar and packaged foods as much as possible. Swaps that were game changers for me: cauliflower rice for rice and Egglife wraps for bread, wraps or buns. Those 2 foods helped me rid tons of sugary carbs and I’ve lost 70 pounds so far. I think I may like this and found it on 30% off sale for the holidays with extra $75 off Asprey75 code. It’s $194. I’m not sure if it’s going to have a monthly fee-hope not. It does appear to offer guidance for weight loss. I do wear Apple Watch, Amazon Halo and Freestyle Libre 2. I have reversed type 2 diabetes as well. Thank you for this video. Oh I’m also off anti depressant, proton pump inhibitor for severe heartburn! Never thought that could happen. I should also mention that I practice intermittent fasting 20 hours daily and drink LMNT for electrolytes. I agree with either or. If it’s going to keep charging me, I may not get it. If it were one time purchase at $194 USD right now, I’d be going through checkout.

[@SusanaXpeace2u]

oh boy, expensive. I'll wait for somebody to invent a cheaper version.

[@alisonmbell]

Had no idea about the $19 per month. Since I've already paid $300, I will try it out for that duration. If it was helpful, I'll consider continuing. If not, I will cancel and send the device back I suppose that's what will be necessary.

[@MakeUseOf]

You don't need to send it back - it'll just stop working.

[@Smudgemom2003]

Low carb…I saw a couple low carb experts on the marketing material. Can’t help but think it’s low carbohydrate focused but the device would prove otherwise, yes? Could it be programmed to encourage everyone to a HFLC lifestyle? To what benefit? Love the concept tho

[@jacobstravail]

I eat low carb & intermittent fast and it always shows me a four or five don't waste your money

[@Smudgemom2003]

@@jacobstravail Thank you for your review!

[@egarrisonwte]

Thank you for the review. Your comment about the data did hit home with me. Also, you are right. Purchase plus subscription - Likely would not be interested. Seems very expensive and like there will be $100 version on Amazon any day now. I I guess the alternative is to pee on a strip and test that way.

[@nocodecreative]

I just got one, 1 month return policy..... we'll see!

[@emeduerabe]

@wayne how is it going? did you return it in the end?

[@jennymacaluso4062]

Do they ask you what type of diet plan you're eating whether you're on the k e t o diet plan, vegetarian diet plan, paleo diet plan, or the metabolic diet plan?

[@MakeUseOf]

Sort of. If I recall correctly - they ask what food types you can eat. Not specifically a type of diet.

[@Phoenix-gu2fk]

It doesn’t work at all. Great idea but, do any calibrate properly. I’m sending it back. I’ve tried for several days & followed the directions.

[@p5rsona]

bonkers pricing for breath analyzer

[@mekkler]

Keto skicks, $7, no gimmicks.

[@davidbeiswenger60]

Wondering why you didn't give us your weight in Stone? ;)

[@MakeUseOf]

I don't use stones, I have no idea why we'd measure something in an arbitrary size of a rock. 110kg.

[@delinquense]

No Lumen for me ... don't like subscription services. Don't want it ... don't need it. Not happening. Don't want to be forced to track my meals. I just want a good quality ketone breath meter. End of story. Besides, they will be out of business pretty soon and then nobody's device will work.

[@gray308]

this device will not do it for you people by itself YOU HAVE TO MOVE NOT a weight loss device

[@MadelnMachines]

Seems pretty useless. My intuition told me it was probably a scam.

[@MakeUseOf]

Calling it a scam is a bit much.

[@UnCoolDad]

If you eat fewer calories than you expend, you will lose fat. True story!

[@MakeUseOf]

Madness!

[@UnCoolDad]

@@MakeUseOf Herecy for some!

[@M.e.t.a.M.o.r.l.o.c.k]

And if you make more money than you spend, you'll get richer. True but meaningless story.

[@ericlaphroiag3546]

quit eating carbs, and youll quit burning carbs....not really rocket science is it?

[@UnCoolDad]

@@ericlaphroiag3546 If only it were that simple. No matter what you eat, you must be in a calorie deficit to lose fat.

[@AMurphySharp]

$240.00 per year is cheap as a “service” Not sure why everybody thinks that upkeep should not cost money. I do not get any benefits from my statement but you want services you have to pay for it.

[@MakeUseOf]

The question is more "why is this a service?", not "why does a service cost money?". There's no reason this can't all be done within the app itself, as a one-time download that will work offline - there is no ongoing service being offered.

[@AMurphySharp]

@@MakeUseOf applications require maintenance and innovation. And, to me, the two are intertwined which is why I responded based on my discernment of the video

[@marieegan3451]

@@AMurphySharp As a retired application analyst, I agree that apps need maintenance, but they could offer upgrades at a cost and let people decide if they want to pay for them, but bug fixes should be free. I personally do not like the idea of what may be personal data stored on cloud services somewhere. You don't know if they are storing your credit card and personal info in the same location as your daily results that should be deidentified or referenced with an anonymous identifier. Most likely though is you're paying them to store your data with Amazon or MS Azure data centers, and when the cost of storage goes up because of inflation or they need to buy more storage as they grow, the subscription will go up as well. My DBAs and storage folk whined all the time about the cost of SAN storage and to encourage users to stop saving irrelevant information, as if they would listen to me. So, costs are always going to increase.

[@K1llerB333]

And I no longer want this product after finding out its Israeli based company. Thank you

[@ThePeopleSing]

Anti-Semite?

[@K1llerB333]

@@ThePeopleSing no not exactly pal. I don't really like Israel because they destroyed my families home over there recently and a group of IDF soldiers cut my grandpa's toe off with no reprucussion because it's there word over his. It's a personal thing. If you are suggesting i don't like people who are part of the Jewish religion that is not the case. Specifically Israel and Israeli supporters.

[@CanineGrowTime]

@@K1llerB333 You're still grouping a lot of people into something that isn't their fault. Being mad at an entire country because of what some political or law enforcement figures did to your family member isn't right. Its like me being mad at America because some cops ran over and killed my cousin (actually happened). No. I'm just mad at the cop. All of America doesn't take the blame. And this is why you sounded anti semitic or hateful by saying that.

[@K1llerB333]

@@CanineGrowTime I truly truly truly wish that were the case but the locals are definitely part of the problem.

[@K1llerB333]

@@CanineGrowTime the general consensus in the Jewish community outside Israel is that the elders are the only ones who strongly believe in kicking people off their land while thankfully the educated younger group are able to recognize that isn't exactly ok. If the locals weren't like that I don't think I'd be as mad. Please please please sir/ma'am do research. My people have done wrong but Israel's wrongs far out weigh ours. Thank you for being inclusive I want everyone to be involved but when someone's at fault and nobody is willing to acknowledge. Some say the British government way back then is at fault some say the treatment of being 3rd class citizens in regular every day life and in the courts. Whatever your conclusion is you don't have the big picture and I ask you to find sources that support both sides to give you a better idea where I'm coming from.

[@uaeio]

I use Ketonix, and am totally satisfied with only initial investment and free tests

[@saahilharjai2713]

Amazing review.. brutally honest! Really helpful.. Thank you 😊