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- Thread starter sophieee
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Basically I try to make an informed estimate! Sometimes if you go to a chain restaurant e.g. pizza express you can look up online what carbs are in the food, or look up a similar ready meal e.g. look as a lasagne packet before you go out to eat one in a pub.
For other things, my carb-counting course at the clinic taught me to judge things by eye, e.g. 1 egg shaped potato is 10g carbs, 4 medium chips are 10 g carbs, 1tbsp cooked rice = 10 g carbs etc. So I look at my plate and add up all the carbs then I tend to inject at the end of the meal when I know how much of it I've eaten. It is more difficult to get it right when eating out, but you can always make a conservative guess then check your BG 2 hours later and take some more insulin if necessary.
For other things, my carb-counting course at the clinic taught me to judge things by eye, e.g. 1 egg shaped potato is 10g carbs, 4 medium chips are 10 g carbs, 1tbsp cooked rice = 10 g carbs etc. So I look at my plate and add up all the carbs then I tend to inject at the end of the meal when I know how much of it I've eaten. It is more difficult to get it right when eating out, but you can always make a conservative guess then check your BG 2 hours later and take some more insulin if necessary.
hellokitty
Active Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hey hun,
I have always carb counted. If you go to a restaurant or friends house or eat out at college or whatever then you estimate how much of the food is there according to basic "rules of thumb." For example if you were having pasta, you could try to imagine how many tablespoons of pasta there is there and then work it out that way. Or if its bread for example, then one medium slice is 15g or one thick slice is 20g or go off another basic "rule of thumb" such as that. It can be very difficult when eating out, especially if you are used to using the scales. Also most restaurants now have their nutritional information online so that you can see exactly what you will be eating. Whenever I am going to a restaurant I always make a point of trying to look this up beforehand.
I hope that makes some sense?
Hope it helped a bit, please do reply so that I can explain anything further to you if you want me too 🙂
warmest regards,
Lucy 🙂 x
I have always carb counted. If you go to a restaurant or friends house or eat out at college or whatever then you estimate how much of the food is there according to basic "rules of thumb." For example if you were having pasta, you could try to imagine how many tablespoons of pasta there is there and then work it out that way. Or if its bread for example, then one medium slice is 15g or one thick slice is 20g or go off another basic "rule of thumb" such as that. It can be very difficult when eating out, especially if you are used to using the scales. Also most restaurants now have their nutritional information online so that you can see exactly what you will be eating. Whenever I am going to a restaurant I always make a point of trying to look this up beforehand.
I hope that makes some sense?
Hope it helped a bit, please do reply so that I can explain anything further to you if you want me too 🙂
warmest regards,
Lucy 🙂 x
hellokitty
Active Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Good I'm glad you feel you know a bit more now 🙂
How do you go about estimating hun? x
How do you go about estimating hun? x
sophieee
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Well I was given a guideline dose of insulin, which started at 10 units for breakfast, 10 units for lunch, and 16 for tea, but of course, as I've got older the doses have gone up. Until recently I was doing 14 with breakfast, 14 with lunch, and about 26 with tea. And then just depending on how much I was eating, or if I was having a desert for example, I'd do more. OR if it was a high carb meal. At the beginning of this week I put my doses up to 15 breakfast, 15 lunch, and 32 tea (guidelines again). And my bloods have been a LOT better. I was told aswell, if my bloods are too high between meals, 1 unit brings blood glucose down by 5mmol, so I do that quite a lot aswell. It means more injecting, but at the moment I'm managing it. I don't think I've explained it very well so apologies 😛
shiv
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
honestly - it really isn't! there is a lot to take in, but once you know it, you know it. plus - the more educated you are, the better it is! see if you can get on a carb counting course of some variety, they are very useful.
margie
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi Sophie
I posted this on another thread
http://www.bdec-e-learning.com/
it is an online carb counting course created by some specialist nurses.
If you registered and looked at the course overview it might put your mind at ease
I posted this on another thread
http://www.bdec-e-learning.com/
it is an online carb counting course created by some specialist nurses.
If you registered and looked at the course overview it might put your mind at ease
sophieee
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Carb counting does seem really hard at first - but after a couple of weeks of doing it you will get the hang of it. Most packets tell you carbs per 100g in weight - so you need to get some digital scales. Once you can see how much a portion of rice is for example you will get a good idea of how to 'guess' when eating out.
Alex has 3 different ratios at the moment, 1/14 for breakfast 1/15 for lunch and 1/16 for evening meal. All this information is put into the pump so all you need to do is add 50 carbs for example and the pump knows what time of day it is and gives you the right amount. If your low it will take some off and if your high it will add the extra insulin. You tell the pump your correction factor and it works it all out - brilliant really!🙂
If you do want to start carb counting - take a look at wednesdays meals - people list the carbs and how much insulin/ratio they are on. It might help you to get the idea of it and it wont seem so daunting.🙂
p.s. I am totally rubbish at maths and even I can do it!🙂Bev
Alex has 3 different ratios at the moment, 1/14 for breakfast 1/15 for lunch and 1/16 for evening meal. All this information is put into the pump so all you need to do is add 50 carbs for example and the pump knows what time of day it is and gives you the right amount. If your low it will take some off and if your high it will add the extra insulin. You tell the pump your correction factor and it works it all out - brilliant really!🙂
If you do want to start carb counting - take a look at wednesdays meals - people list the carbs and how much insulin/ratio they are on. It might help you to get the idea of it and it wont seem so daunting.🙂
p.s. I am totally rubbish at maths and even I can do it!🙂Bev
NiVZ
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hello,
I agree carb counting has made the BIGGEST difference to my diabetes. Beforehand I had no idea what effect different foods were having, or how my insulin needed to match what I'd eaten.
Sophieee - what kind of Insulin are you on?
NiVZ
I agree carb counting has made the BIGGEST difference to my diabetes. Beforehand I had no idea what effect different foods were having, or how my insulin needed to match what I'd eaten.
Sophieee - what kind of Insulin are you on?
NiVZ
sophieee
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Levemir and NovoRapid.
I'm in the process of changing clinics so when I get a referral for somewhere else, hopefully somewhere slightly more helpful, I'll ask about carb counting then
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