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UK Digital Carb Scales

Woollie777

Woollie777

Member
Messages
22
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi

I am a Type 1 and I'd really like to buy a decent digital kitchen scales but when I look online, there is such a vast choice that I am bombarded with choice lol! I need a decent scales to help me count carbs so I can more correctly calculate my insulin intake. Please can anyone recommend one that they've found to be good that's not over expensive. Many thanks :)
 
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Are you after the type of scales that give you the carb readout of foods ?

If so, I didn't find these particularly useful for me as the database didn't contain the kind of foods I am likely to eat. A wee warning too - the carb values are very general, aimed for people who are looking for weight loss through carb control, so the values given are not really very good for calculating carbs for boluses.

I may be wrong though, and they have improved vastly in the couple of years since I investigated them, but I still can't see how they can closely calculate the carb values in so many different brands

I found the Cook and Count app far more useful ( and cheaper! ) as it allows you to calculate the ingredients you would use in a recipe as you make it, and it saves your recipes for further use. You can also calculate the carbs of individual items by weight . Custom ingredients can be added to the already large database too :)

Signy
 
Heathenlass said:
Are you after the type of scales that give you the carb readout of foods ?

If so, I didn't find these particularly useful for me as the database didn't contain the kind of foods I am likely to eat. A wee warning too - the carb values are very general, aimed for people who are looking for weight loss through carb control, so the values given are not really very good for calculating carbs for boluses.

I may be wrong though, and they have improved vastly in the couple of years since I investigated them, but I still can't see how they can closely calculate the carb values in so many different brands

I found the Cook and Count app far more useful ( and cheaper! ) as it allows you to calculate the ingredients you would use in a recipe as you make it, and it saves your recipes for further use. You can also calculate the carbs of individual items by weight . Custom ingredients can be added to the already large database too :)

Signy
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Hi Heathenlass, I did wonder if the carb scales myself so thanks for clarifying that! Unfortunately I don't have a decent enough phone for aps but the Cook and Count app does look amazing and I wish I could use it, perhaps one day when I can afford to update my mobile lol!!! :D
 
Woollie - I don't have an iPhone, in fact my so called " smart phone" is just an idiot :rolleyes: I downloaded mine on to a cheap touch screen iPod from eBay , solely for running this app and others that require a half way decent phone ;) You do need an iPod that is version 4 and above though to be able to run it, but as I thingies are on version 2500 ;) by now, they are still cheapish. Or, if you're smart, ask any teenage relative for their cast offs :D

Signy
 
Heathenlass said:
Woollie - I don't have an iPhone, in fact my so called " smart phone" is just an idiot :rolleyes: I downloaded mine on to a cheap touch screen iPod from eBay , solely for running this app and others that require a half way decent phone ;) You do need an iPod that is version 4 and above though to be able to run it, but as I thingies are on version 2500 ;) by now, they are still cheapish. Or, if you're smart, ask any teenage relative for their cast offs :D

Signy
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Do you mean Ipod touch 4th generation? I am a little worried about buying stuff on Ebay as not too up on technical stuff and afraid of getting ripped off lol :confused::D
 
iHs said:
I use Rosemary Conley's EnerGi digital kitchen scales which were given to me foc when I started pumping
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Thanks, I have tried finding these online but no luck as presently they appear to be unavailable! :confused::rolleyes::)
 
Woollie777 said:
Do you mean Ipod touch 4th generation? I am a little worried about buying stuff on Ebay as not too up on technical stuff and afraid of getting ripped off lol :confused::D
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That's it ! :)
And there's always the teens ;) Actually I was miffed because I bought the iPod then when I was discussing it at the weekend my nephew informed me that had two (!) that he wasn't using anymore :rolleyes: That's why I suggest frisking teens beforehand :D

Signy
 
Heathenlass said:
That's it ! :)
And there's always the teens ;) Actually I was miffed because I bought the iPod then when I was discussing it at the weekend my nephew informed me that had two (!) that he wasn't using anymore :rolleyes: That's why I suggest frisking teens beforehand :D

Signy
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Just seen on ebay "Apple iPod touch 5th Generation Blue 32 GB Latest Model - Very Cheap Bargain !!! for £26 apparently" Very tempting although not exactly sure just how the ebay bidding works and unfortunately no teens to ask, any chance your nephew would be interested in selling one to me lol
 
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He flogged them on eBay after finding out I got mine from there :rolleyes:

Still, he could have had that bright idea beforehand and I may have made him that little bit richer ! :eek: I once got involved in a bidding war for green Doc Martens, then found after I won them that I was bidding against my friend :confused: Who ended up getting them anyway, for nowt, because they hurt my feet :rolleyes:

Signy
 
I just use an ordinary set of digital kitchen scales. If you are thinking along the lines of having a set that works out the carbs then my advice would be don't bother. You will spend ages finding the code for the food item and no guarantee the item has been added to the food list correctly. Some of the carb counts are wildly inaccurate :(
 
When my Salter Scales broke I just bought a set of digital scales from the Argos Value Range (around £7), most packaging has the carb value on or you can look it up in a book such as the Calorie Carb & Fat Bible.
 
The next time I get a set of scales I shall be timewarping back to prehistory.
They will be proper, old, weights and measures.

I am sick to death of the dead-battery?-gosh-is-that-grammes?-oz?-ml?-stone?-tonnes?-goodness-the-battery-has-gone-AGAIN! drama
 
Brunneria said:
The next time I get a set of scales I shall be timewarping back to prehistory.
They will be proper, old, weights and measures.

I am sick to death of the dead-battery?-gosh-is-that-grammes?-oz?-ml?-stone?-tonnes?-goodness-the-battery-has-gone-AGAIN! drama
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LOL ! Oh I hear you, sista ! I HEAR YOU ! :banghead::D Oh the annoyance of the display changing from one reading to another because I may have breathed in its direction, and the knowledge that the bugg€ring battery has died and it's a fifty mile round trip to get another :banghead:

Unfortunately for me it's a necessary evil, as the analogue and rather decorative kind just aren't accurate enough for me. But the battery issue drives me nuts !:mad:

Signy
 
Heathenlass said:
LOL ! Oh I hear you, sista ! I HEAR YOU ! :banghead::D Oh the annoyance of the display changing from one reading to another because I may have breathed in its direction, and the knowledge that the bugg€ring battery has died and it's a fifty mile round trip to get another :banghead:

Unfortunately for me it's a necessary evil, as the analogue and rather decorative kind just aren't accurate enough for me. But the battery issue drives me nuts !:mad:

Signy
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You could go for a 'vintage' postal balance (lots on Ebay) ,they had to weigh very accurately. I remember reading that Dr Robin Lawrence (himself a diabetic and founder of DUK )used to recommend that to his patients. He also recommended a special square cutter for producing the 10g carb portion from a standard slice of bread.
 
phoenix said:
You could go for a 'vintage' postal balance (lots on Ebay) ,they had to weigh very accurately. I remember reading that Dr Robin Lawrence (himself a diabetic and founder of DUK )used to recommend that to his patients. He also recommended a special square cutter for producing the 10g carb portion from a standard slice of bread.
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Just had a look.

Some of them are seriously sexy. ;)
 
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