How Many Carbs Do You Need Each Day?

Your daily carb requirement is based on your daily calorie need. Carb amounts play a major role in setting your carb boluses. It is best to make gradual changes in how many carbs you eat and adjust your insulin gradually as you go.

Fill in the blanks below to determine how many grams of carbohydrate you need each day by hand or use our interactive Carb and Calorie Estimator.

    1. First determine your desired weight in pounds:a. If you are overweight, a 10% loss from your current weight is ideal.
      desired weight = _______ lbs.

      b. Or base your ideal weight on this formula:

      Women: 100 lb. + 5 X ______ in. = ________ lbs.
      inches over 5 ft. your goal wt
      Men: 106 lb + 6 X ______ in. = ________ lbs.
      inches over 5 ft. your goal wt

      c. Use this weight if you have an average frame.

      for a light frame, subtract 10% = ________ lbs.
      for a heavy frame, add 10% = ________ lbs.

    2. Choose a calorie factor that describes your activity level:
      Very sedentary Sedentary Moderately active Active Super Active
      men 13 14 15 16 17
      women 11.5 12.5 13.5 14.5 15.5
    3. Determine your total daily calorie need:
      _________ lbs X _________ = _________
      desired wt. cal. factor cal/day

       

    4. Then divide by 8 (1/2 of calories as carbohydrate and 1/4 gram per calorie) to determine how many grams of
      carbohydrate (CHO)you need each day:

      _________ / 8 = __________
      cal/day
      grams of carb/day

 

  1. And last, decide how you want to split up this total daily carbohydrate for different meals during the day.(See example)
    Breakfast AM snack Lunch PM snack Dinner Eve. snack
    ______ grams ______ grams ______ grams ______ grams ______ grams ______ grams