Should you count carbs

[Maddiemo1]

Hello. Do you think you should count how many carbs you eat every day, like you do with cals? Or just cut down on the carb and check your blood to see if the food you have eaten has made a differance.

 

[tree-peony]

For me, the short answer is, both!

 

[MaryJ]

Initially, I just tested and adjusted accordingly

Then I was coming up to a doctors appt and I wanted to know on average how many carbs I was eating so I had an actually amount to discuss with the doc (not that I needed it).

Since then I've just always been filling in my food diary everyday. I use myfitnesspal but there are other ways

Mary x

 

[CarbsRok]

Hello. Do you think you should count how many carbs you eat every day, like you do with cals? Or just cut down on the carb and check your blood to see if the food you have eaten has made a differance.

That depends on who you are aiming the question at
Type 2's diet and exercise should be very carb aware as in the amount and type of carbs they eat.

Types 1's and 2's on insulin need to count the carbs as well as being aware of the type they are eating (startchy,high GI etc)
There's a gentleman on another forum call Alan who coined the phrase eat to your meter. Which is fantastic advice as long as you have access to test strips.

 

[Grazer]

The key is your second option - test two hours after eating to see what you can eat and how much. Set yourself a two hour target. As a pre diabetic trying not to become full blown diabetic, perhaps try to be always below 7? Up to you to set the target but I would suggest it needs to be below the maximum a lot of us diabetics set of 7.8 if you're trying not to become one of us.

 

[Defren]

For me, the short answer is, both!

+1 TP I agree. I count everything, from carbs and calories to fat and protein. I know exactly what I am eating, so I can keep my diet as balanced as possible with ultra low carbs.