Why the gold standard of diabetes management doesn't work in real life
Topic
Carb Counting
Tracking Carbohydrates for Blood Sugar Management
Carb counting is a method of tracking the carbohydrate content in foods to help manage blood sugar levels and calculate insulin doses. While it's been the cornerstone of diabetes management for decades, research shows that even experienced carb counters frequently miscalculate by 20 grams or more—enough to cause significant blood sugar swings. Many people find that drastically reducing carbohydrate intake (very low-carb or keto) makes diabetes management simpler and more predictable than trying to perfectly match insulin to carbs.
Article (1)
Research (2)
Advanced carb counting brings only modest gains; everyday experience and feedback often matter more. Real‑world routines beat perfect math for type 1 diabetes control.
Fat, protein, and GI meaningfully shift post‑meal glucose in Type 1 diabetes—often demanding more insulin than carb counting alone. The same carbs don’t mean the same insulin when meals are high in fat or protein.