Thanks for your post
@JMoli and everyone's replies - this has been a really interesting thread for me.
I have been on basal only for around ten months since being re-diagnosed as LADA from T2 - split dose of 10-12 units (Humulin 1) daily. Through trial and error I have developed a sort of rule of thumb that if my reading is 10+ I'll go for six units, more usually five. This has worked reasonably well, in tandem with low carb and a lot of activity, but recently things have gone more erratic - no hypos but too many highs, some days the identical meal/exercise/insulin regime works fine and then others not.....Basal is a blunt instrument, and while I must be producing some of my own insulin, I am no longer getting a good enough level of control.
I have a phone consultation with my Dr on Thursday and am going to ask to add fast-acting when and if I need it, much like
@jwatty's approach. If you are wondering why I'm not already on it, well last time I asked my consultant back in September, she said my control was 'surprisingly' good, and just suggested splitting the basal dose. The three month follow-up didn't happen and I spent most of Jan long-distance walking abroad and didn't want to start risking hypos just then. Since March, everything has just been a Covid-blur, but time to get a grip!
Like you my carbiest meal is the evening one, so that looks like the prime candidate to start with and means I should be able to reduce my basal dose. I am definitely not an expert in using insulin, but have been around long enough to gain the confidence to experiment a bit. I am also encouraged by all the amazing long-time T1s who have survived, and thrived despite all the short-comings of the early forms of insulin and testing. This tells me that avoiding the extremes is key and as others have said, keeping clear records is key in this.
Good luck, you will find your own way!