Recent Posts in Carbohydrate Counting

Apr 22, 2013

mum2westiesGill 502 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging

Do you round the carbs on packets up/down to the nearest 5?

What would you round these to?

Warburtons White Medium Loaf (800g)
Carbohydrate - Per average slice 17.7g

Batchelors Cup a Soup Oxtail (78gr)
Carbohydrate - Per Portion as Prepared 12.8g

Apr 22, 2013

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging

On injections, and in my case, single unit disposable pens:

Bread - 20g (2CPs)

Cup a Soup - 10g (1CPs)

If there were multiple items that had the odd decimal place in there, I would usually add them all up first, so for the above items:

17.7 + 12.8 = 30.5, therefore 30g (3CPs)

So all those spare decimal grams would be used somewhere, but would be rounding up or down after they have all been added up together....

Now that I am on a pump, I can deliver my units to 1 decimal point.............yay.......

Apr 24, 2013

Apollo 45 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging

As novorapidboi26 says it's important to add all the carbs in a meal time together first.

Don't do your rounding then add it together. That includes your puddings as otherwise if you round up on your main and your pudding and maybe there is surgar in your drink and it happens that you round up on that too then you could end up taking 2 or 3 units more than if you added everything together and then rounded up. It maybe that one rounds up another rounds down and it all balances out anyway but it's better to add up all the accurate figures first and be sure.

Also for me my BG figure can be a factor. If I'm 4.5 mmols before the meal then and having got all the complete CPs I've got 6g of carbs left over I'll round it down because the BG level is in the low end of target so it can go up a little without to much worry. Where as if I'm 7.2 mmols I'll round it up because there is enough in my blood for that to be ok.

Apr 25, 2013

Alan 49 284 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging

We were told on our DAFNE course always to round partial CPs up to the next whole CP.

Apr 25, 2013

Vickyp 137 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging

It also depends on the individual. I am insulin sensitive and if I always round up it could cause me to gave too much insulin!
Agree with Apollo about BGs at time of having the CPs, as this plays a massive role for me too!

Apr 25, 2013

SA2010 69 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging

Just a comment on Alan's note re what DAFNE says. It is my belief that DAFNE says what it says because they want it to be simple for the masses. So everything rounded in whole numbers and all ratios in half unit ratios. I decided not to accept this advice because I can and because I believe I am very sensitive to Insulin. I add numbers with decimal points for the Carbs and I go overboard perhaps and instead of rounding the total, I work out from my QA:CP ratio for that meal what would the CP number have to be so that no rounding occurs and I top up meal by a few grams of a biscuit or a wafer or half a mini flapjack, Over the top you would say but there are so many factors that affect BG that I want to eliminate as much as I can.

I actually go a step further and have QA:CP ratios with decimal point fractions - so I am on 1.3:1 for QA:CP for breakfast, 0.7:1 for lunch and 0.8:1 for dinner. And I switched to a QA pen with half units !

Goes against DAFNE but that was the system I had in place before I was put on DAFNE and after 9 months of adhering to the DAFNE advice I went back to my system.

I only approximate and round when I eat out and probably over 50% of the time my BGs are wrong afterwards

What does it mean ? I use a calculator all the time when I eat at home. I weight food. I read all labels and complain to tyhe store when they do not have the nutrition data, Well in a few years time they will be forced to have it on all packaged food.

Apr 27, 2013

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging

You would be suited to a pump due to your sensitivity...................there are many DAFNE grads that use the half unit pen, its very useful for most, in fact all pens should have it........ Very Happy

Apr 27, 2013

Vickyp 137 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging

I use a half unit pen and am awaiting funding for the pump! As am very sensitive with ratios of 0.5:1 at lunch and dinner and 0.5:1-0.5 at breakfast! Lots of reading labels and weighing food!

Apr 27, 2013

SA2010 69 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging

novorapidboi26 said:
You would be suited to a pump due to your sensitivity...................there are many DAFNE grads that use the half unit pen, its very useful for most, in fact all pens should have it........

Thanks James - may be. But I worry about all the things that might go wrong with the pump and leaving this decision until I really have to have one, I remember my hospital days with canulars and how they leak sometimes and need to be checked all the time and moved and replaced and repositioned. My conerns about pumps are :
* risk of infection at the site
* risk of knocking it of its place - I am sometimes clumsy with hardware ! Seat Belts when driving? seat belt on airplane. Knocking and bumping into things that might dislodge the positioning of the pump and when dressing/undressing or when cycling or moving my arms or whatever.......
* need to reposition it every few days
* impact on pump when taking shower or bath.
* always worrying if it is making good contact and primed or has moved

There may be answers to all these and I may be wrong worrying about these ! There is also probably a psychological element - getting wired to a pump permanently - a realisation that i have a serious problem. It is, but at least i think of it as just a few injections a day. Anyway - probably this is more suitable for a thread on pumps.

Apr 22, 2013 mum2westiesGill 502 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging Do you round the carbs on packets up/down to the nearest 5? What would you round these to? Warburtons White Medium Loaf (800g) Carbohydrate - Per average slice 17.7g Batchelors Cup a Soup Oxtail (78gr) Carbohydrate - Per Portion as Prepared 12.8g

Apr 22, 2013 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging On injections, and in my case, single unit disposable pens: Bread - 20g (2CPs) Cup a Soup - 10g (1CPs) If there were multiple items that had the odd decimal place in there, I would usually add them all up first, so for the above items: 17.7 + 12.8 = 30.5, therefore 30g (3CPs) So all those spare decimal grams would be used somewhere, but would be rounding up or down after they have all been added up together.... Now that I am on a pump, I can deliver my units to 1 decimal point.............yay.......

Apr 24, 2013 Apollo 45 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging As novorapidboi26 says it's important to add all the carbs in a meal time together first. Don't do your rounding then add it together. That includes your puddings as otherwise if you round up on your main and your pudding and maybe there is surgar in your drink and it happens that you round up on that too then you could end up taking 2 or 3 units more than if you added everything together and then rounded up. It maybe that one rounds up another rounds down and it all balances out anyway but it's better to add up all the accurate figures first and be sure. Also for me my BG figure can be a factor. If I'm 4.5 mmols before the meal then and having got all the complete CPs I've got 6g of carbs left over I'll round it down because the BG level is in the low end of target so it can go up a little without to much worry. Where as if I'm 7.2 mmols I'll round it up because there is enough in my blood for that to be ok.

Apr 25, 2013 Alan 49 284 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging We were told on our DAFNE course always to round partial CPs up to the next whole CP.

Apr 25, 2013 Vickyp 137 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging It also depends on the individual. I am insulin sensitive and if I always round up it could cause me to gave too much insulin! Agree with Apollo about BGs at time of having the CPs, as this plays a massive role for me too!

Apr 25, 2013 SA2010 69 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging Just a comment on Alan's note re what DAFNE says. It is my belief that DAFNE says what it says because they want it to be simple for the masses. So everything rounded in whole numbers and all ratios in half unit ratios. I decided not to accept this advice because I can and because I believe I am very sensitive to Insulin. I add numbers with decimal points for the Carbs and I go overboard perhaps and instead of rounding the total, I work out from my QA:CP ratio for that meal what would the CP number have to be so that no rounding occurs and I top up meal by a few grams of a biscuit or a wafer or half a mini flapjack, Over the top you would say but there are so many factors that affect BG that I want to eliminate as much as I can. I actually go a step further and have QA:CP ratios with decimal point fractions - so I am on 1.3:1 for QA:CP for breakfast, 0.7:1 for lunch and 0.8:1 for dinner. And I switched to a QA pen with half units ! Goes against DAFNE but that was the system I had in place before I was put on DAFNE and after 9 months of adhering to the DAFNE advice I went back to my system. I only approximate and round when I eat out and probably over 50% of the time my BGs are wrong afterwards What does it mean ? I use a calculator all the time when I eat at home. I weight food. I read all labels and complain to tyhe store when they do not have the nutrition data, Well in a few years time they will be forced to have it on all packaged food.

Apr 27, 2013 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging You would be suited to a pump due to your sensitivity...................there are many DAFNE grads that use the half unit pen, its very useful for most, in fact all pens should have it........

Apr 27, 2013 Vickyp 137 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging I use a half unit pen and am awaiting funding for the pump! As am very sensitive with ratios of 0.5:1 at lunch and dinner and 0.5:1-0.5 at breakfast! Lots of reading labels and weighing food!

Apr 27, 2013 SA2010 69 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrates on Packaging novorapidboi26 said: You would be suited to a pump due to your sensitivity...................there are many DAFNE grads that use the half unit pen, its very useful for most, in fact all pens should have it........ Thanks James - may be. But I worry about all the things that might go wrong with the pump and leaving this decision until I really have to have one, I remember my hospital days with canulars and how they leak sometimes and need to be checked all the time and moved and replaced and repositioned. My conerns about pumps are : * risk of infection at the site * risk of knocking it of its place - I am sometimes clumsy with hardware ! Seat Belts when driving? seat belt on airplane. Knocking and bumping into things that might dislodge the positioning of the pump and when dressing/undressing or when cycling or moving my arms or whatever....... * need to reposition it every few days * impact on pump when taking shower or bath. * always worrying if it is making good contact and primed or has moved There may be answers to all these and I may be wrong worrying about these ! There is also probably a psychological element - getting wired to a pump permanently - a realisation that i have a serious problem. It is, but at least i think of it as just a few injections a day. Anyway - probably this is more suitable for a thread on pumps.