My 38 year old brother-in-law (5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing about 250 pounds) has type 2 diabetes and will have to start insulin therapy if they don’t get it under control. They are trying to find out how many carbohydrates he needs for his size and weight because his insurance won’t cover a dietitian, and they can’t afford one out of pocket. Can you tell us how many he needs? If you can’t tell us, can you tell us how to find this answer other than a dietitian?

Just as a “ballpark figure” based on the information that you provided, your brother in law requires approximately 2200 calories/day for gradual weight loss (about one pound per week). The gradual weight loss will decrease his insulin resistance and hopefully improve his blood sugar control. Basing his carbohydrate intake on about 50% of his total caloric intake would provide him with about 18 carb servings/day (each serving of carb equals 15 grams of carbohydrate). I hope this helps somewhat, but I would suggest that your brother-in-law meet with a registered dietitian at a later date if insurance allows to work out a specific meal plan individualized to his needs.

JMS