Help! T1 and just now learning to count carbs. This is difficult when you are always on the go. I am to stay between 30 to 45 cards per meal. I start on my new omnipod tomorrow. Scared things are going to go crazy. Any suggestions?
Thanks! I guess it is just trial and error. I have breakfast figured out. It is when we are out and get fast food which is horrible it’s tough.
Are you able to pack lunch , snacks etc; keep them refrigerated if need be ??
My CDE told me to be really boring and stay close to home for the first week or so when adjusting to the pump. It takes some time to see how your body reacts to the pump as opposed to MDI. Use good judgement and keep close tabs on your carb counts to report in to your doctor, since adjustments in the first few days & weeks are the norm.
Best of luck to you in your new adventure.
Do you pretty much eat at the same places on the go? Then at least you could plan ahead from day to day, knowing what the carb counts are in advance, and then branch out from there. You can do it. Give yourself time.
Hi Kelley, good luck with your new omnipod! eating out is a major challenge, we do it pretty rarely, my son had half a sand and soup at panara while on vaca this week, i figured it probably was 70 carbs i did about 120 knowing how he responds to this type of food and extended 40% in a half hour we also bolused for his correction about 1/2 before he ate i was plesantly surprised this all worked out perfectly! the moral of the story is aim high when eating out and we ussually bolus some pre, during and post a major plus of pumping! if you want to go lo carb then salads with chicken for lunch are a good way to go still extend some out for the fat! best of luck and ask away if you have any questions about your omnipod we have had some issues but basically happy esp with their costumer service and the ease of delivering insuling and programability. best of luck, amy
I generally pack my food from home as much as I can. Get a cooler or pack foods that will not spoil in the heat (winter is easier in this respect if you're in a colder climate). I measure/weigh everything, put it in baggies, and then label the bags. If I do have to grab a snack on the run, I visit a grocery store instead of a fast-food joint. Most grocery stores sell individually packaged things like yogurt, hardboiled eggs, and other items. The trick is to do all the carb counting at home and have things labeled. This saves you from having to do it on the run.
I'm just returning from a quick 4 day trip cross-country and was concerned about my ability to control my blood sugar on the go and when several meals would be out of my control (wedding, eating at the resort, etc). I'm also a vegetarian which definitely complicates things. But I did pretty well. I underestimated one meal and ended up at 223 (ouch) but came down quickly. other than that I didn't go above the 140's and the lowest was 72 (which was at bedtime so I took one glucose tab). (I tend sometimes to overestimate carbs or get to talking and not eat much). So I consider this trip a success food wise.
One thing I feel the need to do is stay flexible food wise when I'm out and about. Especially being vegetarian that gives me more options and reduces stress. So I don't adhere to the same strict standards I do at home. Also I test more but log less if that makes sense! I lose track of time too easily when I'm socializing so I just periodically test to make sure all is well but don't really worry about logging religiously all my numbers as I do at home. With a pump I know I can always check my history to remember what I bolused or when or what my last blood sugar was.
Basically eating out as everyone says can be a challenge but you get the hang of it in time either eating at familiar places, or familiar foods or just getting to be able to estimate carbs fairly easily. Just test, test, test and correct as needed!
How is it going on the pod?
There are a few coffee shops/restaurants in my town that actually cater for low GI food. They have "health bread" on the menu, and I asked and it was low GI, so I had a toasted bacon and egg sandwich. I also love the restaurants that have salad and veg buffets because then you can order a steak or chicken piece and choose some nice low carb veggies to go with it. Do you have a Nando's franchise near you? I'm a fan of their chicken strips and (low GI) rice, and their chicken pieces. I always order it cooked with the skin off, and since it's grilled it's low fat. You can choose a salad as a side. It's worth doing some research and finding out which places have low GI or low carb options.
For lunch I try to have a sandwich (the bread I use is low GI and 15 grams per slice) and fill it with a good protein like tuna, shaved biltong (dried meat like jerky), a low fat cheese or a chicken polony roll (if you look like can usually find a relatively pure chicken one).
I always have some cashews or pecan nuts and biltong (kind of like jerky) with me to snack on. I also like low GI rusks for the times I need a carb on the go. And I'm usually pretty close to a bag of air-popped popcorn (three cups = 15 grams of carbs!). Cheese is also good.
I tend to eat the same types of carbs over and over, because I know my body can handle them. The star of my meal becomes the protein, because I know I can vary that without endangering my BS.