How to fill in your insulin log
- Glucose on top, dose below. Each box is split corner to corner. Write the reading in the top corner and the units of insulin in the bottom corner. Write x when you did not take a dose.
- Use the in-between columns for extra checks. Mid-morning and After dinner are there for checks between meals: after exercise, when you feel low, or when your doctor asks for more readings.
- Carbs on the facing page. On the right half, write the grams of carbs for each meal and snack. The columns run in the same order as the day, so a meal sits next to the reading before it.
- Mark the good days. Put a + in the In target column when every reading that day stayed within the range your doctor gave you.
- Write down what explains a number. Use Notes for a hard workout, illness, stress, a late meal, or a low and how you treated it.
Why a paper log still helps when you use insulin
Apps and meters store readings, but a page shows two weeks at a glance. You can see at once whether mornings run high, whether a certain meal is always followed by a high reading, or whether lows cluster after exercise.
A paper log is also easy to hand over at an appointment. Your doctor or nurse can scan it in a minute, without logging in anywhere, and it works with any meter, pen or pump.
Pocket card or full page?
- Pocket card: two cards per sheet, two weeks each. Fold on the centre line and it fits in most meter cases. Readings on the left, carbs on the right.
- Full page: one landscape page per week with bigger boxes. Easier to fill in for older eyes, and good for the fridge door.
Not medical advice. This log is a place to write down your numbers. Your target range, testing times and doses come from your doctor, diabetes nurse or clinic.
Questions
Can I log rapid-acting and long-acting insulin separately?
Yes. The meal boxes usually hold your rapid-acting doses, and the Bedtime box can hold your long-acting dose. If you take long-acting insulin at another time, add a column and name it, for example Long-acting.
What does the split box mean?
Each box is divided by a diagonal line. The top corner is for your blood sugar reading, the bottom corner for the units of insulin you took at that time.
Does it work in mg/dL?
Yes. Choose mg/dL or mmol/L at the top of the settings. Use the same unit your meter shows.
Can I change the testing times and meals?
Yes. Rename, add or remove any column. Your changes are saved in your browser for next time.
Is my information stored anywhere?
No. The log is built in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us.