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

5. 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