Carb Commando - Counting Carbohydrates

Counting Carbohydrates The Correct Way

Counting carbohydrates effectively

A few foods like table sugar and lollipops are entirely carbohydrate, so their weight on a gram scale will be exactly the same as the number of grams of carbohydrates they contain. Most foods, however, have only part of their total weight as carbohydrate. The carb content of these foods can be determined by food labels, reference books or software, or a scale and a list of carb factors.

Like any new skill, counting carbohydrates will take a couple of weeks to master. You will need to consult books or software in a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and weigh and measure foods consistently for a while. As time passes, you will train your eye to estimate accurately both serving sizes and weights, whether eating out or at home. As you look up the foods you commonly eat, make a list of them for easy reference. Keep that list next to your Smart Charts or food log, and use it to figure the carbs in a meal before you decide how much insulin to take.

When truly counting carbohydrates, it requires some weighing and measuring equipment, such as a gram scale and measuring cups and spoons. Remember that scales measure weight, while measuring cups and spoons measure volume. For some foods there is a big difference. Many nutrition labels and food composition tables give both types of measure, but some give only one. Just be sure to match your type of measurement, i.e., weight or volume, with the reference material you are using. To do otherwise will require considerable calculation.

When it comes to counting carbohydrates, make sure you follow the instructions carefully. Not that anything drastic will happen if you don't, but you may not get the results you want if not done correctly. Counting carbohydrates does take some time to master, but once you've got it down you'll be all set to go. But with everything, be careful dieting and counting carbohydrates. You don't want to take anything away from yourself nutritionally. There are different types of carbohydrates, some you need more than others. Do your research first.

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