How to Log Insulin Doses and Carbs (Simple Paper Method)

What to write for each injection

The reading before the dose.
The units you injected.
Which insulin, if it is not obvious from the column. Mealtime doses usually go in the meal columns; a once-a-day long-acting dose gets its own column or goes with the bedtime box.
The carbs you ate with that dose, in grams.

Keep the reading and the dose in one box

A box split corner to corner holds both numbers: the reading in the top corner, the units of insulin in the bottom corner. The page stays compact, and you can see at once what you measured and what you did about it. Write x in the bottom corner when you did not take a dose.

Corrections

If you add extra units to bring down a high reading, write them so you can tell them apart from the meal dose, for example 6+2 for 6 units for the meal plus 2 to correct. When you look back, frequent corrections at the same time of day are a pattern worth showing your doctor.

Carbs on the facing page

Write carbs on the right half of the page, in the same order as the meals on the left, so each meal sits next to the reading and dose that belong to it. Grams are the most common unit. In some countries people count in carbohydrate portions or bread units (often 10 to 12 g each); use whatever unit your team taught you, and keep it the same on every page.

Snacks count too. Give them their own columns, such as Morning snack or Evening snack, so they do not end up squeezed into the margin.

Long-acting insulin

Long-acting doses are usually the same from day to day, so it is easy to stop writing them down. Keep writing them anyway. A missed or doubled dose is one of the first things to check when the numbers suddenly change.

Why it is worth the effort

The ADA says people who take mealtime insulin should get ongoing education on matching insulin to carbs, and NICE recommends structured education such as the DAFNE programme for adults with type 1 diabetes. Both rely on the same thing: knowing what you ate, what you injected and what happened next. A log is where that information lives.

For me, this one page is most of my diabetes management. Readings and doses on the left, carbs on the right, and a + at the end of every day that stayed in target. Before a meal I look back at similar days: how much I ate, how much I injected, whether I was active, and where my glucose ended up. That history tells me what dose I need now. Over the years it has also shown me how exercise, carbs and insulin move my numbers, so I can adjust my insulin with confidence. It is a big part of why my HbA1c has stayed below 6% for twenty years. That is my result with my own treatment, not a target for anyone else.

Not medical advice. This guide is general information. Your targets, testing times and treatment come from your doctor, diabetes nurse or clinic, who know your situation.

Make an insulin logSplit boxes for reading and dose, carbs on the facing page.

Questions

Do I write down the dose or the insulin-to-carb ratio?

Write down the units you actually injected. Your ratio is set with your diabetes team and may change; the dose you took is the fact you will want to look back at.

What if I use an insulin pump or a smart pen?

Pumps and many smart pens store doses for you. A paper log can still hold carbs, notes and the in-target mark, and it is handy at appointments.

Should I log fat and protein too?

Usually not on a daily log. A short note such as 'pizza' or 'big steak' is enough to explain a late rise. The ADA notes that high-fat and high-protein meals can raise blood sugar later than usual.

Can I change my doses based on my log?

Only in the way your diabetes team has taught you. The log helps you and your team see patterns; decisions about doses belong to that conversation.

How to log insulin doses and carbs on paper