carb counting

[fruitloaf]

Going to see the dietician today so that I can start carb counting and adjusting my insulin dose. I've been keeping a food diary for a week now. My diet seems a lot more unhealthy now it's written down on paper. Those cake/biscuit snacks make it look bad - but how can anyone resist a friends' homemade chocolate brownie! The bread and butter pudding may well be responsible for some of my high glucose readings, but I did have lots of fruit bread to use up so it was the only option really!

calculating the carbs in some of my meals is going to take sometime I think. Not so bad once I know what my regular meals are but how do you cope when you are in a restaurant choosing from the menu trying to add it all up in your head?!

will let you know how it goes

 

[Caroline]

Good luck with your appointment today. Many folks fin it helps to make a list of questions and take a pad to write down answers.

It might help to get a good carb counting book, the better ones give a guide to eating out and list restarant chains meals to help you through the highs and lows of carb counting Lots of people like The Collins Gem Carb Counter, but if yu look round your local book shop or look on something like Amazon, you are bound to find one you like

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

The Collins Gem Carb Counter...

Oddly I'd heard that the Collins Gem CALORIE Counter was the better one. I gather that the Carb counter says things like 'half a baguette' without necessarily specifying the size (thick as your arm or one of the weedy thin ones...?). I believe the Calorie counter states carbs in everything per 100g.

Is that right?
M

 

[Jean]

Collins' Carb Counter

I couldn't do without it!

A very worthwhile buy.

 

[SacredHeart]

Oddly I'd heard that the Collins Gem CALORIE Counter was the better one. I gather that the Carb counter says things like 'half a baguette' without necessarily specifying the size (thick as your arm or one of the weedy thin ones...?). I believe the Calorie counter states carbs in everything per 100g.

Is that right?
M

No, it's not right. 🙂

I have the Carb Counter in my bag every day. It gives per gram, per sachet, packet - whatever's the most appropriate.

I hate 'per half baguette' type measurements as well. Maybe whoever told you that was looking at an old edition? 🙂

 

[Adrienne]

Hiya

I don't like the Collins Carb counter much but it is a handy size but I don't bother taking any book anywhere now. It does have odd things like 1 medium banana, I would rather a weight but this is not for everything of course.

However there is a new book which is so much better called Carbs and Cals and it is also now an iphone and itouch application so I have it on my phone. It is absolutely fantastic. You can buy the book from Amazon and most of the cwd lot have it. It is pricey but worth every single penny.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carbs-Cals-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283527756&sr=8-1

Actually the price has come down to ?8 odd, it was ?12 when it was new a few months ago. This really is the only book you need now, it is fantastic as is the iphone app which is ?4.99 to download.

Eating out is ok and once you get the hang of it, it really isn't a problem. We still all get things wrong but you generally are ok. You have to guesstimate when out but you get used to thinking really what is in the food and how big is 100g of rice or pasta and the size of the lasagne. It is easy to work out. You will get there but to begin with I think carb counting is a daunting prospect.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

SacredHeart

Ah OK thanks for that!

That's the problem with half remembered second hand advice 🙂

The only one I've ever had was published by Pan as dates from around 1991 😱

M

 

[bigpurpleduck]

Going to see the dietician today so that I can start carb counting and adjusting my insulin dose. I've been keeping a food diary for a week now. My diet seems a lot more unhealthy now it's written down on paper. Those cake/biscuit snacks make it look bad - but how can anyone resist a friends' homemade chocolate brownie! The bread and butter pudding may well be responsible for some of my high glucose readings, but I did have lots of fruit bread to use up so it was the only option really!

calculating the carbs in some of my meals is going to take sometime I think. Not so bad once I know what my regular meals are but how do you cope when you are in a restaurant choosing from the menu trying to add it all up in your head?!

will let you know how it goes

Unfortunately this is mostly trial and error (although some restaurants may be able to give you the carb content). After time you will become more and more confident with your own guesses. I tend to underguess rather than overguess, to prevent hypos while out. Can then correct later.

One suggestion: when eating at home, look at your portions and take as good a guess as possible. Then weigh & check packets to calculate carbs exactly - & see how close your guess was. Practice makes perfect!

 

[MCH]

Oddly I'd heard that the Collins Gem CALORIE Counter was the better one. I gather that the Carb counter says things like 'half a baguette' without necessarily specifying the size (thick as your arm or one of the weedy thin ones...?). I believe the Calorie counter states carbs in everything per 100g.

Is that right?
M

I think it depends what you are doing. When at home, I use the CALORIE counter because I am weighing stuff and find it easier, but when I am out, I carry the GI one as it gives portion sizes.

If you can get on a course for carb counting it would help. On mine we got to see plates of food and began to practice estimating the carbohydrate in them.

(As a few people have said, it's all really practice, practice, practice.....)

(The BDEC online course is an excellent place to start though - there is a link for it somewhere on the forum)

Good luck.

 

[Marc]

If you have an Iphone there is a a few apps that can help you Track 3 is good and hasd a fair few englishg chains. Some fast food restaurants have lists. If you go to Subway you only really need to count the bread and the carbs are on the back of the packet of crisps . I went to this ace chicken place in Merry Hill in the West Midlands and they just whipped out a folder.

The one I'm struggling with is Urban Pie because they will not.

Marc