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Corporate lunches - what would you do?

ArtemisBow

ArtemisBow

Well-Known Member
Messages
312
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
So today we had a company meeting that was a series of presentations with lunch in between. This means we sat down at 12 (BG 5.7 so off to a good start). Starter served about 12:30, then more presentation, which meant main course not served til about 2:15. I planned to combine my starter & main bolus doses when the main turned up and didn't know there would be such a gap, so by the time I got any insulin at all it was nearly 2 hours after I'd started eating.

I didn't even bother with pudding which was fortunate as it didn't arrive until 3:30. At which point my BG was 15.3.

So what would you have done? Take a separate dose for each part?
 
In those circumstance I would have taken two separate bolus doses for each course and been mindful of the overlap.
 
If you wanted to also have the dessert, would you then have taken 3 separate injections? Would your 2 hour after test be 2 hours after the final course?
 
ArtemisBow said:
If you wanted to also have the dessert, would you then have taken 3 separate injections? Would your 2 hour after test be 2 hours after the final course?
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I don't eat desserts but occasionally do have cheese 'n' biscuits if its a special occasion or a perhaps a fruit salad, in normal circumstances I'd bolus for the starter then again for the main and dessert together if eating all three courses, but as there was such a space between the courses today in your situation I wouldn't have given a third injection as you'd have 3 bolus doses working at the same time.
 
I'm on a pump, but whether I was on a pump or MDI, I'd have a separate bolus for each part of the meal.

I also do that in restaurants as the gap between courses is unpredictable.
 
I have this type of problem too. @noblehead (I think it was) suggested something called "sugar surfing". Not so easy unless you have a Libre or CGM but, what I do is test often and split my bolus throughout the meal. It's a bit of a faff but it sort of works... kinda like you're your own pump!
 
ArtemisBow said:
So today we had a company meeting that was a series of presentations with lunch in between. This means we sat down at 12 (BG 5.7 so off to a good start). Starter served about 12:30, then more presentation, which meant main course not served til about 2:15. I planned to combine my starter & main bolus doses when the main turned up and didn't know there would be such a gap, so by the time I got any insulin at all it was nearly 2 hours after I'd started eating.

I didn't even bother with pudding which was fortunate as it didn't arrive until 3:30. At which point my BG was 15.3.

So what would you have done? Take a separate dose for each part?
Click to expand...

Personally? In this scenario. I would have gone for the main course & just bolused for that. I don't do desert. I may have picked out the non existent carbs in a "safe" starter? (meter pending.)
Stacking boluses in that short space of time for me might do anything...? I wouldn't want to be heckling the master of ceremonies! :p
 
Thanks everyone - I've never attempted stacking boluses before so don't know what would happen - perhaps I will test this out at home to see how my body copes with it so I'll know for future!

If I had just had the main Jaylee I would have been left pretty hungry - nouveau cuisine doesn't make for a filling lunch :(
 
I've never had a problem with stacking boluses, but I appreciate some people do. For me, the most difficult thing when eating out is estimating carbs, so any BS problems would be far more likely to arise from miscalculations doing that than from multiple, usually small, insulin boluses.

I've bolused for each course/food item many times at things like weddings or ongoing buffets where food timings are all variable and you're never quite sure what you're going to eat and when! I usually try to estimate carbs as accurately as I can, and, if in doubt, make sure I don't over-estimate and have too much insulin. I also check my BS between courses and for a few hours after the food-fest to make sure all's settling back to normal. I also always take a snack or two just in case.

I prefer to have more little boluses than one large one because it gives me more flexibility and I feel like I'm in control on a minute by minute basis.

And I do eat dessert! : D

I hope future meals go well for you :)
 
ArtemisBow said:
Thanks everyone - I've never attempted stacking boluses before so don't know what would happen - perhaps I will test this out at home to see how my body copes with it so I'll know for future!

If I had just had the main Jaylee I would have been left pretty hungry - nouveau cuisine doesn't make for a filling lunch :(
Click to expand...

I feel your pain & empathise with the situation.. My wife's works black tie "wine tasting" events with a "guest speaker", were my nemesis . :)
 
i was a rep for 30 yrs. it always kept coming up. ( eating late ). SIMPLE you just go to the kitchens , tell them you're a diabetic and you need some food NOW. I was in hospital a couple of yrs ago. my blood sugar was 2.8. at 10pm, i asked for 2 weetabix. 45 mins went by and after 4 more requests nothing happened. i rang security down at the front gate and told them that the ward would be wrecked if they didn't get up here.they arrived on the ward. nurses wanted to know what was going on..15 secs later i had my weetabix. it's the same at wedding receptions. some times they eat at 2-3pm.i just go into the kitchen and after explaining, i help myself. hope that helps. frank
 
I would shoot up for the starter and then again for the main and ignore the meter reading at the main as there would still be bolus insulin on board.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
I got burnt early after diagnosis, I took my bolus, and the food was drip served out taking hours, hypo'd big time. Do bolus for each course if it's spaced out.
 
Just keep bolusing to cover the food you're about to eat just before you eat it. Don't do any corrections until 3.5 hours after eating
 
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