Carb Counting

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PhilT

PhilT

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1.5 LADA
After reading how you guys on here have had so much success with carb counting I thought I would give it a go.

Saw my nurse Liz this morning and mentioned it to her and she thought it was a good idea, so I went into Waterstones today and bought a copy of the Collins Gem Carb Counter book that you guys recommended (was the last copy in the shop).

I will have a read of it when I get home from work tonight and start carb counting as soon as possible.
 
i find that book really useful, even if i just use it as a guide - some things don't have nutritional info on the back of them, so it's nice to have some idea!
 
Good luck, I hope it works for you. It works for lots of people on the forum, and I'm sure there will be plenty of tips for you too.
 
Hi everyone, Carb counting sounds good. I'm very new at this (diagnosed a couple of weeks ago as T2) and am finding adjusting my diet quite overwhelming and a bit confusing. I will get a copy of this book too and give it a go. Out of interest, how many carbs a day can we have? Or is it based on your individual weight etc..?
 
Nice one Phil and good luck i did give it a go but it was not for me.
 
JoJoBoo said:
Hi everyone, Carb counting sounds good. I'm very new at this (diagnosed a couple of weeks ago as T2) and am finding adjusting my diet quite overwhelming and a bit confusing. I will get a copy of this book too and give it a go. Out of interest, how many carbs a day can we have? Or is it based on your individual weight etc..?
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Dear JoJoBoo, PhilT

The amount of carbs you can have is something you have to determine by yourself - we are all different! The objective is to keep your blood sugar at or below your targets and you learn what foods you can eat in order to do this. Some people can eat a large amount and stay on target, some, like me, can only eat minimal carbs. Have a look at the books thread, there is a book by Jenny Ruhl and one by Gretchen Becker which will help you learn how to do carb restriction.


Warmest Regards Dodger
 
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JoJoBoo, just to let you know, Carb counting isn't for type 2's who aren't on insulin (or even most type 2's on insulin). I think it's controlled carbing or something similar...

It is getting confused on here lately.
 
for type 1's and type 2's on insulin carb counting is about working out how to match insulin dose to carbohydrates eaten.

For type 2's carb counting seems useful for those wanting to control or monitor the number of carbs eaten.
 
Thanks for your comments guys.

I chiefly want to try reducing my carb intake to help lower my evening and middle of day blood sugar levels.

Since I've been on insulin my morning levels have been pretty good but I can't say the same for later in the day so I though reducing carb intake would help get the readings down nearer to target.
 
I looked at lots of books to find out the carbs in food and found them really good, but more recently I have found an online site that tells you them and also some restaurants it's called diabeticfriend I think it's new but worth taking a look - good luck xxx
 
Good Luck with it..🙂
 
I have got the same book and i have found it very useful and have been surprised at how many carbs some foods have, including fruit. I can comfortably get away with 30 possibly 40g of carbs per meal at the moment, that amount keeps my 2 hour post-meal reading of around 7.8 which is what i am happy with. Good luck with it all 🙂
 
Hi,

I'm new to the idea of carb counting and I'm not sure if it would be suitable or effective for me as a type 2 on metformin only ?

The reason I ask is that my early morning sugar level is often quite high for me, at 7 or just under (nurse says between 4 and 7 before meals but my personal aim is below 6) and I can't understand why. I'm now wondering if it's because I like to have some fruit or 2-3 cream crackers about 10pm most nights.

Hope this makes sense !

Linda
 
ERICS MUM said:
Hi,

I'm new to the idea of carb counting and I'm not sure if it would be suitable or effective for me as a type 2 on metformin only ?

The reason I ask is that my early morning sugar level is often quite high for me, at 7 or just under (nurse says between 4 and 7 before meals but my personal aim is below 6) and I can't understand why. I'm now wondering if it's because I like to have some fruit or 2-3 cream crackers about 10pm most nights.

Hope this makes sense !

Linda
Click to expand...

Dear Linda,

It is entirely possible that the carbs you are eating so late in the day are causing your fasting level of 7mmol/L. Why not test just before you eat your crackers or fruit, then test 1 hour later and then after a further hour. It will tell you if you can safely eat or not by the the post challenge rise. The DUK web site can give you the max rise after eating.

Regards Dodger
 
I don't do very well with crackers, one eve i had 4 crackers with cheese for my tea and my 2 hour post-meal reading was 10! so i won't be eating so many of them (maybe a couple next time) but i have noticed that if i just have a bit of protein (without carbs) before bedtime, my fasting readings are a lot better. I also have the very thin crispbreads sometimes, say a couple with a bit of peanut butter or a string cheese and they seem OK for me. It's all a case of experimenting - good luck!
 
sorry, forgot, by the way Dodger, what is the maximum BS rise after eating recommended by the DUK? or where does it say on site? thanks
 
I have followed a low carb since last May. It helped me lose weight and manages my blood glucose levels fairly successfully, my 30 day average is 5.8 and my last HbA1c was 5.0. :D
Fortunately I was able to cut right back on the carbs without much difficulty: no rice, no bread, no pasta, no chocolate, etc. I can imagine a lot of people would find difficulties with this.
I think of low carbing as staving off any side effects from diabetes and trying to avoid using insulin for as long as possible.
Low carbing lost me weight too.
 
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