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Simple question for beginner!

C

canwegetanotherdog?

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I have a simple question about carb counting on low carb diet. I need to bolus say 1.5 units to cover two scrambled eggs and bacon. I know these aren't cards... But when.I check my total cards for day, should I include these in the total? Many thanks
 
canwegetanotherdog? said:
I have a simple question about carb counting on low carb diet. I need to bolus say 1.5 units to cover two scrambled eggs and bacon. I know these aren't cards... But when.I check my total cards for day, should I include these in the total? Many thanks
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Sorry but I don't really understand your question. Why are you thinking of including things that aren't carbs in your total carb count, and why are you bolusing for no carb meals?
 
Hi, I'm bolusing for none carb meals because if i don't eat carbs, i need some insulin to keep my BS flat to cover the eggs and bacon (i.e. the eggs and bacon without carbs spike my sugar, for example)... does that make sense?
 
canwegetanotherdog? said:
Hi, I'm bolusing for none carb meals because if i don't eat carbs, i need some insulin to keep my BS flat to cover the eggs and bacon (i.e. the eggs and bacon without carbs spike my sugar, for example)... does that make sense?
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No not really, non carb meals should have a negligible effect on your blood glucose, that's the whole point (from my understanding anyway) of having a low carb diet. Carbohydrates turn to glucose easily and spike your blood sugar, the body can break down the other food groups into glucose as well, but not so easily.
 
Yes i get that but if we don't eat any carbs, don't we get glucose (in a smaller way) from other food stuffs? I def see a rise in BS eating some no carb meals which i need to cover...
 
@canwegetanotherdog, you are correct as a t1 and @urbanracer is giving bad advice.

You will need to bolus for protein in meals for two reasons. When protein is ingested, it would normally cause an insulin reaction due to insulin also being used to move amino acids into cells. As protein has no carbs, there is also a glucagon release to counter the insulin. This glucagon release still takes place in a t1 without the insulin.

There is also a secondary effect, called gluconeogenesis, that is the liver converting protein to glucose. On a low carb diet you will also see this effect and it is also linked to glucagon. Usually, most of us eating significant protein when low carving have to bolus 1.5 to 2 hours post eating to reduce the effects of gluconeogenesis.

Typically the insulin protein ratio is half most people's insulin carb ratio.
 
Ok thank you, and interesting that many of you bolus that much time after eating - I'll watch for that. So to answer my original question, when I am looking back at the day to see how many carbs I've eaten, I should only be looking at actual carbs eaten, i.e. not looking at total days bolus and assuming that is all carbs...? (I'm on a pump)...

Many thanks...
 
tim2000s said:
@canwegetanotherdog, you are correct as a t1 and @urbanracer is giving bad advice.

You will need to bolus for protein in meals for two reasons. When protein is ingested, it would normally cause an insulin reaction due to insulin also being used to move amino acids into cells. As protein has no carbs, there is also a glucagon release to counter the insulin. This glucagon release still takes place in a t1 without the insulin.

There is also a secondary effect, called gluconeogenesis, that is the liver converting protein to glucose. On a low carb diet you will also see this effect and it is also linked to glucagon. Usually, most of us eating significant protein when low carving have to bolus 1.5 to 2 hours post eating to reduce the effects of gluconeogenesis.

Typically the insulin protein ratio is half most people's insulin carb ratio.
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Ok apologies but if I eat a very low carb meal like bacon and eggs my bg readings hardly change so I assumed it was normal and that the reaction was too slow to worry about. We live and learn.
 
They contain too few carbs to bother worrying about, your bolus dose has nothing to do with
canwegetanotherdog? said:
Ok thank you, and interesting that many of you bolus that much time after eating - I'll watch for that. So to answer my original question, when I am looking back at the day to see how many carbs I've eaten, I should only be looking at actual carbs eaten, i.e. not looking at total days bolus and assuming that is all carbs...? (I'm on a pump)...

Many thanks...
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What are your reasons for wanting to look back at your daily carb totals, surely if your bolusing for carbs in your meals and know how to bolus when there isn't any does it matter what the total is, all what matters is you've bolused correctly and your bg levels have kept with your bg target range, or I'm I missing something here?
 
Hi, Only that I don't want to eat TOO few carbs.... Last couple of days I've found it easy to eat hardly any - but i don't want to lose weight...?
 
canwegetanotherdog? said:
Ok thank you, and interesting that many of you bolus that much time after eating - I'll watch for that. So to answer my original question, when I am looking back at the day to see how many carbs I've eaten, I should only be looking at actual carbs eaten, i.e. not looking at total days bolus and assuming that is all carbs...? (I'm on a pump)...

Many thanks...
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It might be useful if you used something like myfitnesspal to keep track of your daily carb/protein/fat consumption - you could also then see if you are getting enough calories to maintain weight.
 
canwegetanotherdog? said:
Hi, Only that I don't want to eat TOO few carbs.... Last couple of days I've found it easy to eat hardly any - but i don't want to lose weight...?
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Does you pump not log the carbs consumed, it should do if you enter the amount to get the correct bolus dose. On the Omnipod pump it keeps a daily record of all bg readings, insulin doses and carbs consumed.
 
Hi, Thats my original question: CAN i count all the carbs i log into my pump as true carbs - when some boluses are to cover egg/bacon? many thanks
 
canwegetanotherdog? said:
Hi, Thats my original question: CAN i count all the carbs i log into my pump as true carbs - when some boluses are to cover egg/bacon? many thanks
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I'm still unsure as to what you are asking, but if you know it takes 1.5u of insulin to cover a breakfast of scrambled eggs & bacon and your I:C ratio is usually 1:10 then you could register the meal as 15g of carbs in your pump, is this what you are wanting to know?
 
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