Carb Count

[Tim S]

My diabetic nurse wants me to carb count to help with my weight, but I'm old hat I've never carb counted in my life. How do I carb count?

 

[Kaylz]

Its quite easy when you know how, it involves weighing out your food though, you just use the carb references on the labels, if it only states per 100g then you weigh your portion to find out what it weighs, divide the carbs stated for 100g by 100 and then times by the amount your portion weighs, take a look at BERTIE online, its a quick online carb counting course 🙂 xx

 

[Robin]

My diabetic nurse wants me to carb count to help with my weight, but I'm old hat I've never carb counted in my life. How do I carb count?

As Kaylz says, it's easy when you know how...but...
You need to know how much insulin you personally need for each 10g portion of carbs, for example, and how to work out if your basal rate is correctly adjusted for you personally, and this is where your diabetic nurse should be helping you, Either by booking you into a DAFNE ( dose adjustment for normal eating) course, or by giving you a few sessions to help you on your way. So your first step is to contact her and say, OK, I'll give it a go, so teach me!

 

[Flower]

What Kaylz and Robin say. Once you get started and know what your insulin to carb ratio is, carb counting does give you much more flexibility to vary the amount of carbs you choose to eat at different meals.

This page on the Diabetes UK site is worth a read https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-t...-and-diabetes/nuts-and-bolts-of-carb-counting

 

[khskel]

I'll vouch for the Bertie online course which you can find at www.bertieonline.org.uk

 

[trophywench]

Hear hear - some of us were involved in beta testing the original BERTIE online course and it's always been good - but if you can get on a 'live' course where you will have interaction with other T1s (plus the docs nurses and dieticians running it) you will get more out of it.

I was born and raised in your part of the world - from the home of the Baggies, Tim!

 

[Drummer]

It helps to have kitchen scales you can return to zero leaving the plate and already weighed items on it - you then add the next food and and see how much you can have - you only really need to do that a few times so you get used to what you can eat.
When I started off I just used a notebook, marked a couple of pages for each letter of the alphabet which would be useful and wrote in the food and its carbohydrate content.
If you look up on the internet you need to be aware that American sites show the carbs including fibre and UK ones show the net or digestible carbs, so a lower number.

 

[Kaylz]

It helps to have kitchen scales you can return to zero leaving the plate and already weighed items on it - you then add the next food and and see how much you can have - you only really need to do that a few times so you get used to what you can eat.
When I started off I just used a notebook, marked a couple of pages for each letter of the alphabet which would be useful and wrote in the food and its carbohydrate content.
If you look up on the internet you need to be aware that American sites show the carbs including fibre and UK ones show the net or digestible carbs, so a lower number.

I'm afraid as a Type 1 who has to adjust insulin based on what I'm eating I wouldn't just weigh things out a 'few' times to see what it looks like, there are many ways this could go wrong for an insulin dependant x

 

[Robin]

Over the years I've got pretty adept at eyeballing how much of a dish I'm serving out to myself. Otherwise things like risotto, or sausage and lentil casserole where everything's mixed in, would be impossible. I always weigh my raw ingredients, so I know how much carb is in the whole dish, then estimate what fraction of it I'm having when I dish up.

 

[grainger]

I'm afraid as a Type 1 who has to adjust insulin based on what I'm eating I wouldn't just weigh things out a 'few' times to see what it looks like, there are many ways this could go wrong for an insulin dependant x

I probably should weigh everything but I do most things by sight these days. I weigh yoghurt but that’s about it!

 

[Kaylz]

I probably should weigh everything but I do most things by sight these days. I weigh yoghurt but that’s about it!

To be fair, I'm not dissing all you guys that can eyeball it and guesstimate pretty well, its just I'm personally not comfortable or at a stage where I can do that yet! I hope that in the future I can as it would make life much easier and I do feel slightly jealous of all of you that can manage it that way lol xx

 

[khskel]

To be fair, I'm not dissing all you guys that can eyeball it and guesstimate pretty well, its just I'm personally not comfortable or at a stage where I can do that yet! I hope that in the future I can as it would make life much easier and I do feel slightly jealous of all of you that can manage it that way lol xx

You will get there.

 

[Jason Hempton]

I'm a recently diagnosed (January 2018) Type 2. I am managing it through 1500mg Metformin daily, regular exercise and a weight loss campaign. I'm currently weighing in at 13st 12lbs - over 2 stone lighter than in October 17. I must admit I'm struggling to get the information I need to manage my diet as the local medical centre is poorly set up to assist. Can anyone help me by letting me know if there is a target maximum and minimum carb count per day? To date, I've been managing sugar intake to a limit of 25g per day but a colleague with T1 has told me that I must start watching the carb intake more closely. Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[kentish maid]

Hi Jason, there is a very good book Carb and Calorie Counter, which I have found very useful
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carbs-Cals...preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

 

[Dave W]

Hi and welcome Jason. The book kentish maid has suggested is a useful aid and it is also available as an app on a phone which is handy when out shopping.
First of all I'd suggest that you get an insight into what foods are high carb, you've obviously got a grip on the 'sugars', but the carbs are also sugars as far as your body is concerned, so I'd suggest you ignore the traffic lights on food packaging and just look at the back for the carb level.
I can't comment on maximum/minimum carbs per day as much depends on your body size/weight, your personal metabolism and your own reaction to carbs. We are all different in our reactions to different foods and the only way to know how we react is by testing before and after meals.
You are obviously doing pretty well as far as weight loss goes so can't be too far off the mark as far as diet is concerned.
This link should take you to another site that ought to help you decide about carb intake. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html

 

[Jason Hempton]

Thanks Dave W and Kentish maid for your help. I have also found a website (dietdoctor.com) which has helped by providing information on low carb foods. I'll be sure to look up the book, the app and the link on diabetes.co.uk. Thanks again.

 

[Dave W]

Thanks Dave W and Kentish maid for your help. I have also found a website (dietdoctor.com) which has helped by providing information on low carb foods. I'll be sure to look up the book, the app and the link on diabetes.co.uk. Thanks again.

It's a bit of a learning curve, but you'll get there within a few weeks.

 

[Drummer]

I'm a recently diagnosed (January 2018) Type 2. I am managing it through 1500mg Metformin daily, regular exercise and a weight loss campaign. I'm currently weighing in at 13st 12lbs - over 2 stone lighter than in October 17. I must admit I'm struggling to get the information I need to manage my diet as the local medical centre is poorly set up to assist. Can anyone help me by letting me know if there is a target maximum and minimum carb count per day? To date, I've been managing sugar intake to a limit of 25g per day but a colleague with T1 has told me that I must start watching the carb intake more closely. Any help would be greatly appreciated

I'm not really sure what you've been doing, so forgive me if I've got the wring idea - but it reads as though you've been limiting sugar, but not carbs?
If so then whoever told you to eat that way was entirely wrong - all carbs end up as sugar after digestion - so limiting sugar but not carbs is not going to be effective in lowering blood glucose.

 

[Jason Hempton]

Drummer, I've been watching both but paying more attention to sugar intake than carb intake. I've changed that now as a result of the feedback. Thanks to all.