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Carb counting - what did I do wrong?

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
I've just done a blood test and I'm at 13.1, which makes sense given we think my ratio is slightly higher than 1:10. I'll try to test in another 2 hours but might be tricky as that is mid-commute time and I'll be power walking through London in an effort to catch the early train! If not I'll do it once I've got on the train 🙂
 
I've just been informed that we are having pizza for dinner (the kind you buy in a shop rather than takeaway). From what I am reading, this is a bad idea, right? Or can I just use the carb value on the box? That being said, my family tend to split 4 different pizzas between us so that's a total carb counting nightmare...ugh!

EDIT: Just been told that I can have one (plain) mozarella pizza to myself. Looked it up and its 96g carbs for pizza! WHAT!!
 
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Yep, it's the base - it's dough, and a "deep pan" pizza can easily have upwards of 100g carb content without even considering any toppings! With toppings I've seen one that was 140g for a medium size BBQ chicken one.
Also, the fat content slows down the digestion of Carbs so it is possible that you will have to split your Rapid (ie take half before you eat and half after) otherwise you might end up going low as the Insulin has started working before the Carbs are available.
Pizza and Baguette - two of the foods that I really used to enjoy that simply aren't as much fun now :(
 
zx10pilot said:
Yep, it's the base - it's dough, and a "deep pan" pizza can easily have upwards of 100g carb content without even considering any toppings! With toppings I've seen one that was 140g for a medium size BBQ chicken one.
Also, the fat content slows down the digestion of Carbs so it is possible that you will have to split your Rapid (ie take half before you eat and half after) otherwise you might end up going low as the Insulin has started working before the Carbs are available.
Pizza and Baguette - two of the foods that I really used to enjoy that simply aren't as much fun now :(
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Gosh well that's depressing!! I'm pretty sure it's thanks to pizza I've managed to mostly stay out of the dark clutches of depression :S so, considering this is a plain mozarella pizza, could I, for example, have half a pizza and a salad? Is that any better?
 
If you think it's bad for diabetics - last time my dear husband bit into a baguette - he lost a crown!
 
I would generally go for 2 or 3 slices of pizza and lots of salad. Most of the ones we tend to buy in supermarkets work out at about 20g a slice if cut into six slices (or the *massive ones* cut into eight) Takeaway pizzas are generally waaaay more carby, but we hardly ever have those.

On the whole pizza treats me fairly kindly, but one thing to bear in mind is that pizza is another one renowned for not following the rules. High carb load and high fat content can delay the carbs hitting so if you dose all up front you may crash hypo soon after eating only to rise to a massive high later. You can split your dose and take some before eating and the rest after an hour or two, but the split/timing will be quite individual.

Still... gives a good excuse for repeated experiments 😉

EDIT: posted at same time as ZxPilot 🙂 Snap!
 
Lol @everydayupsanddowns now there is a positive spin if ever I saw one!

Ok, sooooooooo thinking about a plan for tonight - I'm thinking 2 slices + salad, if I do a ratio of 1.2:10 then with 40g of carbs this would be 4.8 units (upped to 5), + whatever corrective dose (if needed), to be split into 2 doses? Does it matter how the unequal sides fall around eating? Ie should I do this bigger or smaller one first before eating, does this matter?
 
That will vary person to person - so all you can do is try one and see. If correction is part of the scheme of things I'd generally add that on to the 'upfront' and split the dose for the carbs but it's very individual. TBH I don't need to split myself I just take all up front. But I do seem to be an oddity because so many people find pizza is very slow for them.
 
I've just tested again and have gone up to 14.7
 
Ooh now pizza is a tricky beast.....and I wouldn't split for pizza I'd delay the bolus until I'd eaten the pizza because the fat makes my digestion a bit sluggish and I'm super sensitive to insulin so I can't advise on the split really, except if its unequal I'd go small before and large after on the basis that lots of cheese will slow it right down spike wise, but you're likely to spike quite high later (that's just a go with your gut thing though to start with, pardon the pun!). Maths wise though I find it easier to view 1.2:10 as roughly 1:8 because then you just divide the total carbs by 8, rather than divide by 10 and times 1.2 by that number. I like easy 😉, although that sentence was a challenge.

Now on the correction dose front, are you sure your correction ratio is correct? If not you're going to complicate your situation when you test afterwards. If you can stand it could you not add the correction dose and just measure your post meal? Would make it easier for you to see if the 1:8 ish is about right for you. I know it's hard to do because you don't want to be high, but if that correction dose is awry you might find yourself unsure if it was the ratio or the correction that made it work or not work, course if you're quite confident on the correction ratio ignore that comment. Best of luck with the pizza experiment, lab coat at the ready, protractor poised 😉
 
The book or app - Carbs & Cals not only gives you the carbs but it also gives you pictures of three portion sizes so it is easier to work out. If what you are havining is not listed you can add it and take a picture (this is on smart phone of course) so you can see the portion size for future reference.
 
Sprogladite said:
I've just tested again and have gone up to 14.7
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Looks like your suspicions about ratio may be right.

Would be good to get your basal checked with a set of fasting tests at some stage though.
 
@everydayupsanddowns yes I am planning to do that this weekend - can't really be up every couple of hours with work the way it is at the moment!

@KookyCat no I'm not 100% sure so I will do a dose just for the meal, thank you I hadn't thought about the impacts of a correction dose. I am tempted to do the same as you and do one injection afterwards (just to save doing more than one per meal) - how long do you typically wait to do the whole lot? It's funny you say about lab coats, I'm pretty sure my son has one that I would fit into - sounds like i might need to get it out! Haha! :D
 
From the perspective of carb counting, generally the topping is utterly irrelevant - it's the bread and cheese that make it complicated!
 
Ok, just got home after the commute from hell and sugar has gone back down to 13.2. Does anyone have a suggestion as to how long after eating I need to inject? I'm going to try full dose after eating first, if that doesn't work I'll try again but split it!
 
Also, what are the implications of exercise on how we calculate dosages for carbs? I go riding every week but as it happens pony is lame right now so not riding this weekend. How would I handle this? I typically ride for 45 mins at a time.
 
Scratch that, I'm an absolute freaking idiot. Pizza is ready shortly after I get home, I go merrily downstairs and inject myself on auto pilot with the 5 units. Was so focused on getting dose right I forgot about timing. I'm so annoyed at myself!! 😡
 
Sprogladite said:
Also, what are the implications of exercise on how we calculate dosages for carbs? I go riding every week but as it happens pony is lame right now so not riding this weekend. How would I handle this? I typically ride for 45 mins at a time.
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I find riding a tricky one. I have a lesson every week, or occasionally go for a hack. If I'm having an intense flatwork lesson, concentrating hard, and working quite hard, I often find my levels drop a bit. If we're jumping, and the adrenalin gets going, I rise! Trouble is, I don't know what we'll be doing til I get to the stables. Hacking doesn't have much of an effect either way.
It's trial and error, I'm afraid, testing before and after, and observing what happens, then reacting to it.
 
Sprogladite said:
Scratch that, I'm an absolute freaking idiot. Pizza is ready shortly after I get home, I go merrily downstairs and inject myself on auto pilot with the 5 units. Was so focused on getting dose right I forgot about timing. I'm so annoyed at myself!! 😡
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Hi Sprogladite, it is easy to go into autopilot and it will no doubt happen again. Be nice to your self you have lots to work out at present.

I would encourage you to do the fasting test this weekend as it makes it a lot easier to get the there ratios sorted once you know the basal is correct.

As you are already finding out carbs are hiding in so many places. Once you get the idea of carb counting it does get easier and you get better at eyeballing food and knowing the carbs. As you have read though something like a baguette can vary a great deal, so keep reading the labels and keep on with the Maths. I bet when you were at school you never realised how important ratios would become to you. I had my class work out my insulin for th epacked lunch I had on one occasion!
 
SB2015 said:
Hi Sprogladite, it is easy to go into autopilot and it will no doubt happen again. Be nice to your self you have lots to work out at present.

I would encourage you to do the fasting test this weekend as it makes it a lot easier to get the there ratios sorted once you know the basal is correct.

As you are already finding out carbs are hiding in so many places. Once you get the idea of carb counting it does get easier and you get better at eyeballing food and knowing the carbs. As you have read though something like a baguette can vary a great deal, so keep reading the labels and keep on with the Maths. I bet when you were at school you never realised how important ratios would become to you. I had my class work out my insulin for th epacked lunch I had on one occasion!
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Thank you, I really appreciate the support, you guys are honestly keeping me sane at this point. I've just tested again and sugar is 16.4, will test again in an hour or two to see which direction it's heading in...I didn't do any corrective insulin just the dose for the meal so that should be interesting!
 
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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