I try to target a mix of “normal” food eating, with vegetables, protein which is usually meat (with certainly some unavoidable fats), and carbs. Minimally processed foods, usually home cooked.
Targets are 40 g carbs each at breakfast and lunch, 70 g at supper. (150 carbs/ day).
But sometimes I’m obviously way off my meal calculations!!
Could go either way. High or low.
I think “thats about 70 carbs” but realize afterward it must have been 30 ‘cause I’m heading low for no good reason or it was 100 ‘cause I need multiple follow up boluses which don’t really make sense to me.
Anyway I’m just laughing now at myself as I see my BG go off a cliff and I’m reaching for a bag of M&Ms which I really don’t even want.
I use the WW app to count my carbs and I do it individually for recipes and overall for restaurants. I like to hold my breakfast around 20-25 G, lunch around 50 and dinner less than 60. I count all carbs not net carbs so if I have beans (I love them) I go ahead and count the full load. Consequently I do not get bent out of shape is I range up to 250g per day or so. Especially if I have included beans in the mix somewhere.
In case you are concerned, I have been at this for 48 years and not one day in those 48 years have I ever gotten it completely right, or wrong.
I am a creature of habit and eat only 1 meal a day and my meals do not vary much, so I know in advance when and how much to pre-bolus and then when an additional shot of insulin and what dose will be needed. My CGM is my best friend to help me through any variations.
Eating low carb most of the time also helps. I am on 25-40G of carbs per day,
I know the carbs of most foods I eat… After years of tracking. But once in a while something slips by that I miscalculation. Try and go low carb when ai eat out,but this getting less as prices go up. Nancy50
I hate to count carbs so I eat the same breakfast and the same lunch every day. I
know that oatmeal and fruit need 3 units of Novolog and a lunch of beans, greens and quinoa needs 2 1/2 units. I measure my food.
My dinner changes but usually I take 2 1/2 units because i eat from the same food groups each night.
Once in awhile I give a 1/2 unit too much or too little and that is enough to throw me off.
I eat about 265 carbs a day.
I have never been one of those people that do exacts when I cook except for baking. So I throw a little of this and a little of that type of thing and guess at portions. I am pretty good at guessing for what I cook. And there are some things I buy that I have to completely guess at. Or that higher fat meal and some guessing later…
But I am used to sugar surfing. I have one main meal a day and a couple of snacks. I watch if my numbers go above what I think it should and I will give more insulin and/or get on my exercise bike. But my biggest fault is deciding I need extra insulin, that’s fine, but then deciding I don’t like seeing the increase waiting for the insulin to kick in, so I get on my exercise bike too…
Same for me.
And with pump, I sometimes do an extended/dual bolus, since it can be easily canceled short, if I end up trending low, so full bolus is not delivered. Works best with meals that include fat/proteins.
What I observe in myself and others who maintain good blood glucose control is that we all expect variability. Even if we weigh and quantify our meals exactly, factors like changing insulin sensitivity can change the actual glucose level.
We then react with exercise, more insulin, or food to balance things out in the short-term. This is the art of glucose management.
I am weighing my food now which is something I have never done in my 63 years of being a type 1. Actually I didn’t even realize that I am doing it, but for breakfast and lunch I eat the same amount daily. This would be difficult if I didn’t love fruits, grains and all kinds of vegetables.
In my older age, I am partly doing this for weight control. I hate weighing more than I want to and I seem to gain weight more easily now. It is also more difficult to lose weight now, so I am very careful with what I eat. I am also very aware of fat content because of my heart stents.
