Am i working out my carbs right?

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Carina1962

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Type 2
Am I working out my carbs right? If i stick to about 30g of carbs per meal, i just weigh my food and look at the label on the particular food and work it out depending on the weight or look in my little carb counter book that i have and then i add it up to make it up to 30g in carbs - is this right?
 
basically, yes! if you look on the back of the packet of whatever you're eating, you usually find the carb content per 100g serving and (usually) in either the suggested serving size, or the content of the packet.
 
thanks. For example, tonight my main meal was the following:-

2 quorn fillets = 0.6 g of carb
25g dried weight basmati rice = 19.4g (according to the packet)
1 chappati = 26.5g carb (according to packet)
100g of madras sauce in a jar - 6.3g

this totals 42.8g of total carbs so will see what the reading is in 2 hours

Oh not forgetting the glass of red wine 🙂
 
My 2 hour post-meal BS reading was 7.8 so pleased with that, this carb counting is working!
 
Carb counting really works. Well done to everyone who does so well with it.
 
Caroline Wilson said:
Carb counting really works. Well done to everyone who does so well with it.
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i have never bothered with carb counting before, but everyone seems to be sayign how good it is? so ive decided to take a look for myself...have just ordered that Collins Gem Carb Counting book, but what im not clear on is what u do once youve worked out the carbs?

like carina said, there was 42.8g of carbs in meal. Now what? Do u take so many units per gram or something?
 
carina62 said:
My 2 hour post-meal BS reading was 7.8 so pleased with that, this carb counting is working!
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Dear carina,

Well done, you've explained it so clearly.

Warmest Regards Dodger
 
DanW81 said:
i have never bothered with carb counting before, but everyone seems to be sayign how good it is? so ive decided to take a look for myself...have just ordered that Collins Gem Carb Counting book, but what im not clear on is what u do once youve worked out the carbs?

like carina said, there was 42.8g of carbs in meal. Now what? Do u take so many units per gram or something?
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Hi Dan,

Once you know the carbs for a meal, you then use your ratio to work out how much insulin to give. This varies from person to person.
Alex is on 1:14 for breakfast 1:15 for lunch and 1:17 for dinner.

So if he was having 42.8g carbs for dinner it would be

42.8 divided by 17 = 2.52 units insulin ( we can get to tiny amounts on the pump).

If you dont know your ratios - it would be best to start with something like 1:15 and if this isnt right - move it either way until your happy that it is close to your needs. Most people need more insulin in the morning than for the rest of the day. But the only way of finding out your ratios will be trial and error. I would start with 1:15 for every meal for a few days and see how you can tweak things either up or down. Once you know your ratios - it should be plain sailing - but of course fatty foods etc can alter things!🙂Bev
 
hmmmm that sounds pretty straight forward on paper, but whether it is we'll see! my current situation might not make it that easy to experiment with ratios & stuff. will see how it goes though, thanks for help bev
 
Bev, you have posed something I must ask my DSN

Currently, I am on 1:10 Novorapid for all meals, there was never any mention of using different ratios for each meal

Something else I have learned today

Cheers
 
Hazel said:
Bev, you have posed something I must ask my DSN

Currently, I am on 1:10 Novorapid for all meals, there was never any mention of using different ratios for each meal

Something else I have learned today

Cheers
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It is different for type 2's Hazel.. we dont have the set ratios that Type 1's have because we still may be producing our own insulin, some of which still may work. I work on the same 1:10 as you do, but find my novorapid can vary between 30 and 50 units depending on what I am eating.
 
Thanks Squidge63
 
Dan, how do you decide how much insulin to take usually, are you on MDI?

I think it's a bit confusing to call controlled carb intake; 'carb counting' - They are different things and people are commenting about them both in the same threads!
 
katie said:
Dan, how do you decide how much insulin to take usually, are you on MDI?

I think it's a bit confusing to call controlled carb intake; 'carb counting' - They are different things and people are commenting about them both in the same threads!
Click to expand...

what is an MDI?

anyway my way is... i have round about standard amounts i take for each meal which do pretty much the right job, then i will either up or lower the dose depending on exactly what/how much/how sweet it is im eating/current level/exercise, etc, etc. which i guess is similar to carb counting, except i dont actually measure it out with figures & ratios and stuff?
 
DanW81 said:
what is an MDI?

anyway my way is... i have round about standard amounts i take for each meal which do pretty much the right job, then i will either up or lower the dose depending on exactly what/how much/how sweet it is im eating/current level/exercise, etc, etc. which i guess is similar to carb counting, except i dont actually measure it out with figures & ratios and stuff?
Click to expand...


MDI is multiple daily injections (that confused me for a while too)
 
I asked about carb counting and was told it is taught at my local hospital but is only offered to those on insulin. Glad to see the DN was wrong again! :D
 
Dan, give it a go here's my comments on it all...

I'm on mdi, and started carb guessing a couple of months in Nursey advised me to start on a 1:10 ratio.

I haven't noticed a major difference in the morning or anytime of the day, in fact I haven't worked out "true" ratios, it varies from about half to one unit of Insulin to 10 grams, but then I just round up or down depending on my "gut" feeling on the food me what I've been doing etc, it's a game, I wish you all good luck!

Carina well done you sounds good🙂
 
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