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When counting your carbs before dosing insulin, do you factor the amount of protein into your carb calculation at all? If so, share how in the comments!
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Sometimes, like when the meal is mostly protein with fresh lower carb vegetables. When easting a smaller or negligible amount of carb I may or may not take any insulin for the meal … depends on state of my BG, emotional energy, and activity level.
Generally, I don’t consider the protein in my meals. However, I will extend the bolus more for a high fat, and protein meal.
That describes me. 🙂
I tend to eat a lower carb diet so find that I do need to figure in the protein
I always count protein and fat, they are the largest percentages in my diet
I bolus for carbs at mealtime and then two to four hours later for protein and fat which always raise my bg.
I’m one of the weird ones that does not count carbs. After more than 66 years of T1, I know how food affects me and bolus accordingly without counting carbs.
I confess that I don’t actually count carbs. I tend to consider the whole meal, how active I’ve been or plan to be, how long I’ve been using the same infusion set, and how my day is going in general (tired?, busy?, relaxed?, stressful?, driving?) I used to count carbs, but I found myself adjusting for these factors anyway so now I just make a holistic decision. After decades of experience eating a similar balance of foods at most meals, that works well for me.
I do the same, unless it is a totally new recipe that is being made. When thre are nutrition facts in a recipe, that makes me happy!
I do not bolus for protein, but I split the bolus into two doses to cover the delay in the carbs effects.
Yes, but only if it is fried or high fat protein. I do not adjust if it is lean protein.
If it is a zero carb meal, I usually add a little bit for protein
Another question that has been asked before. If I’m not mistaken, this one was pretty recent
A large amount of protein impacts blood glucose but much later. I increase the insulin amount and extend the time of delivery.
1. It depends on the specific protein.
2. It depends on the overall size of the meal.
3. My algorithm is not as precise as with carb counting.
I don’t cover for fat or protein, I just know that I will need to give a correction dose in a couple of hours. This happens most evenings after dinner due to more fat/protein than breakfast or lunch. I am MDI, eat fairly low carb and exercise!
I do in the morning when I do a protein shake. It’s says 7g carbs but I so 21 on my pump. If I have the same drink later in the day I just use the 7. I think it’s tied into dawn syndrome I have but it works perfect every time.
With my inhaled insulin I will not bolus until my BG starts to rise with a high protein / low carb meal. When my CGM hits my high if 130mg/dl, that is when I Bolus.
I forgot to add that it is 42g protein
Honestly hard to figure out sometimes. I got a lobster roll with nothing added and my BS went way up. Company swears not additives. Of course didn’t eat bun. So who knows. I use MDI and just correct any highs or lows.
Sometimes my meal may be salmon and cooked spinach. For a meal like that I may need as much as 2.5-4 units depending on the size of the salmon, how much activity I have had for the day, when I am bolusing, etc. Too much insulin too soon can be a problem, too, with a meal like that. If I eat carbs for dinner I always consider how much protein and fat and how that will affect the insulin needs and when. It can be a pure guessing game and I do corrections after and hope I am not too far off because that can then send me into a roller coaster ride. When I get it right I pat myself on the back and hope to remember to check later when the protein and fat puzzle continues. I am currently not on an algorithm. I found that the algorithm with my pump was too slow to correct in many situations.
If I eat a serving size of lean protein (4 oz), I will not bolus for the protein. However, if I eat two servings of lean protein (8-10 oz), then I bolus somewhere between .7 to 1 unit about 1 hour or 1-1/2 hours after the meal as protein takes longer to digest.
Using the Tandem t:slim pump I definitely count carbs before meals, but depend on Control IQ and extended bolus to handle the protein.
Since my protein comes from veggies and legumes, I do bolus. If I were a meat eater, I doubt I’d include that kind of protein in carb calculations
Fat/Protein has to be a large contributor to total carb count to be factored in and even then seems meal type dependent: example large protein portion (steak), large fat component (all fried food dinner), etc.
I answered Other because I tend to estimate number of carbs and I am generally aware of protein and fat as well, but no real formula for calculating insulin dose.
I eat very few carbohydrates. My diet is not quite ketogenic, but low on carbs anyway. Therefore the dosing of meal time insulin is often for most part to cover for protein.
Yes, and no. For foods like pizza, I may add and extra .5-1.0u. For other proteins, I deliver extra insulin an hour or so later.
1/2 of the protein grams are added to the carb grams
No. I’ve tried counting both fat and protein when bolusing, but found I go low. T1D 56 yrs and brittle diabetes (well-controlled, but very volatile swings in BGs mostly in stressful situations).