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Food Diary

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Kaylz

Kaylz

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
So when they let me out of the hospital I had to keep a food diary for the first 2 weeks, then when I got my new meter 3 weeks ago the dietician asked me to continue with it I'm so hoping at my appointment on Tuesday she tells me I can stop doing it haha I don't mind counting my carbohydrates but writing out my menu everyday my hand is getting so cramped lol x
 
I still do one for my daughter - after 4 years! 😱😱o_O
I got mixed messages when my daughter was newly diagnosed, some people said I would only need to do it in the beginning, others said I would have to do it forever 😱
I know eventually I'll stop (and as sure as eggs are eggs my daughter won't bother once she is old enough to take full control of her diabetes herself), but at the moment I still find it useful sometimes. E.g. If we've eaten something unusual which took a bit of effort to work out the carbs, and then we have that food again one day, I can look back and see what we did last time. It can also be useful for spotting patterns if you are having problems - for example my daughter was going through a phase of having a lot of hypos but at seemingly random times, by studying the diary I was able to work out that they hypos happened every time she ate certain types of chocolate - clearly the fat in the chocolate was slowing down her digestion rather a lot, so now we know that if she wants that type of chocolate again we have to extend her insulin dose by at least 2 hours to avoid the hypo! Would never have worked that out without the diary!
 
Kaylz said:
So when they let me out of the hospital I had to keep a food diary for the first 2 weeks, then when I got my new meter 3 weeks ago the dietician asked me to continue with it I'm so hoping at my appointment on Tuesday she tells me I can stop doing it haha I don't mind counting my carbohydrates but writing out my menu everyday my hand is getting so cramped lol x
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I still do one, nearly 10 years on! ( did I tell you, I'm a control freak?)
These days it's fairly brief, as the same meals tend to repeat, eg, I might put 'spag bol' 6 units, and I record my meter readings in the same diary, and also if I took any unusual exercise, like a long walk ( I buy a cheap page a day business diary with the time marked off down one side) so I don't have to keep reinventing the wheel. Then if I'm trying to work out an insulin dose, I just flip back looking for a similar day and see how I went with it then.
 
Robin said:
I still do one, nearly 10 years on! ( did I tell you, I'm a control freak?)
These days it's fairly brief, as the same meals tend to repeat, eg, I might put 'spag bol' 6 units, and I record my meter readings in the same diary, and also if I took any unusual exercise, like a long walk ( I buy a cheap page a day business diary with the time marked off down one side) so I don't have to keep reinventing the wheel. Then if I'm trying to work out an insulin dose, I just flip back looking for a similar day and see how I went with it then.
Click to expand...
Oh good, I'm glad it's not just me! :D
 
I would still do it but I'd type it out on the laptop , much quicker for me as I'm a bit of a freak with my writing if it doesn't look neat enough etc I have to rip the page out and start again haha, would have been using the laptop for it but have no ink for the printer :( x
 
A food diary is a good idea as it can point out anything that needs changing and helps you see a pattern.
 
I always do a food diary anyways being a food addict and trying to lose weight for the past fifty years. :D

I now record my BG before each entry. I've always kept a diary, just a week to view, so it's automatic for me plus I'm a control freak too.

Thursday was a really good day 5.6 / 5.6 / 5.7 today not so good 6/4 6/3 and then I'll measure and write it in before bed. 🙂 I have to see things written down before I can even try to understand them.
 
When I do one I use a spreadsheet and take the laptop with me to appointments
 
khskel said:
When I do one I use a spreadsheet and take the laptop with me to appointments
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I would do that but my laptop is huge and don't fancy carrying it on the bus and a mile to my appointment then a mile back haha plus the battery life is rubbish - I would buy a new one btw but i use a wifi dongle and it's kinda broken so don't want to try taking it out haha x
 
I use My Fitness Pal. It also is on my phone.
I've used it for years, my sister's do as well.
S.
 
SadhbhFiadh said:
I use My Fitness Pal. It also is on my phone.
I've used it for years, my sister's do as well.
S.
Click to expand...
I have a windows phone and seems there is no decent apps diabetes related available for it, my other half offered to buy me a new phone so I could get the apps but I've only had my phone just over a year and to be honest i love it so there's no point x
 
Kaylz said:
I have a windows phone and seems there is no decent apps diabetes related available for it, my other half offered to buy me a new phone so I could get the apps but I've only had my phone just over a year and to be honest i love it so there's no point x
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Well I don't get a signal for my phone at one of my Dr's surgeries I have not checked at the other.
 
Kaylz said:
I have a windows phone and seems there is no decent apps diabetes related available for it, my other half offered to buy me a new phone so I could get the apps but I've only had my phone just over a year and to be honest i love it so there's no point x
Click to expand...
Snap but don't forget windows phone comes with excel and you can sync it to a spreadsheet on your PC
 
khskel said:
Snap but don't forget windows phone comes with excel and you can sync it to a spreadsheet on your PC
Click to expand...
Right ok why have I not thought of that it would have been so much easier d'oh haha, thanks for reminding me 🙂 x
 
There are plenty of apps available as well as software for Windows PCs (probably Macs as well). You might not need the sort of software that dieters use for Food diaries, but at least if my GP starts the "what do you eat" line of questioning, I can answer the question with some very accurate measurements of carbs, Vit. C, fat, magnesium, etc etc. It's the only way I can carb count as I haven't been taught any method. I have to weigh everything but as someone whose weight isn't down to excess, I have to be careful anyway.
 
Just started one myself in a mini notebook i can carry around with my carbs & cals book. I carry it around in a small 'man bag' but when i got the book out in a restaurant the waiter thought i was a reviewer for a web blog or newspaper and the standard of service was perfect!!! I only told them afterwards!!!
 
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