OP - here is what has worked for me.

Target your weight loss for 5-10 below your goal.

Avoid binge carbs. I have no problem eating one piece of cake at an event or a reasonable sized pasta dish at a high end restaurant. However, I know to never start eating potato chips at home or ever make a big bowl of pasta salad. No idea why but those two things are irresistible to me.

Stay low carb, ie I avoid all the filler food like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and sugar. Oatmeal, beans, etc seem to be OK for me because I don’t eat them in large amounts.

If you like things like pizza, Italian pasta, rice dishes then just do them once a week going out.

Hi OP! I wish I knew of the number but I don’t track carbs any longer after reaching my goal and going to maintenance. I lost 35 pounds and have kept it off for over a year. I do generally eat low carb now - for example, most of my fruit is berries although I eat 1-2 bananas a week. I would say I target to keep about 80-90% of my meals the same as when I did keto, and then the other meals I include things that I really enjoy but are carby. French fries, rice, dessert or whatever it is.

I have done keto several times and have been able to sustain the weight loss until I go off the rails, which happens inevitably after so much deprivation.

While I don’t know the exact number of carbs because I stop counting them, I don’t eat any bread/crackers/refined carbs. I will add back some fruits and legumes like beans, maybe some healthy popcorn for a snack.

That said, the last time I did keto I switched to logging calories on the lose it app for a month to help me figure out what I can and can’t eat to maintain my weight. It’s less about carbs, but I still try to stay low carb in general because that is truly the only way I can stay slim sadly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I know all of that. I can lose up to 10 lbs in 2 weeks on keto and I’m only 5 feet tall. So from 125 to 115. Am I carrying 10 lbs of water weight regularly? Perhaps. Esp since i already have the toned body, just obscured by the water retention. Either way, I dont want that water weight. I'll try doing low carb between 50 and 100 grms a day and see if the water weight stays off but i wont lose weight anymore.

i was hoping to see if others has similar experiences and what their low carb number was.

Many years ago, I lost a lot of weight following Atkins. He wanted you to know how many carbs you could tolerate each day and he wanted you to take in carbs from the most nutrient dense sources, compared to glycemic impact. This meant berries and nuts first. My number was around 35 grams a day. But over time this number has dropped precipitously. I believe that most of the talk about water loss is incorrect. As is most of the conventional wisdom around carbs.

Sustaining 35g of carbs or less per day is ridiculous. That just can’t be healthy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I know all of that. I can lose up to 10 lbs in 2 weeks on keto and I’m only 5 feet tall. So from 125 to 115. Am I carrying 10 lbs of water weight regularly? Perhaps. Esp since i already have the toned body, just obscured by the water retention. Either way, I dont want that water weight. I'll try doing low carb between 50 and 100 grms a day and see if the water weight stays off but i wont lose weight anymore.

i was hoping to see if others has similar experiences and what their low carb number was.

Good rule of thumb is don't lose the weight in a way you don't plan on sticking to to keep it off.

But that is what I’m trying to do, sticking to the same method which is low carb. Keto is a form of low carb, Im looking for my carb number where I don’t into Ketosis but don’t gain the weight back either.

You will gain 7-8 of the lbs back, that's a given. It's not physiologically possible to keep it all off, because you did NOT lose/burn that many excess calories in 2 weeks. But by all means, give it a try.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I know all of that. I can lose up to 10 lbs in 2 weeks on keto and I’m only 5 feet tall. So from 125 to 115. Am I carrying 10 lbs of water weight regularly? Perhaps. Esp since i already have the toned body, just obscured by the water retention. Either way, I dont want that water weight. I'll try doing low carb between 50 and 100 grms a day and see if the water weight stays off but i wont lose weight anymore.

i was hoping to see if others has similar experiences and what their low carb number was.

Many years ago, I lost a lot of weight following Atkins. He wanted you to know how many carbs you could tolerate each day and he wanted you to take in carbs from the most nutrient dense sources, compared to glycemic impact. This meant berries and nuts first. My number was around 35 grams a day. But over time this number has dropped precipitously. I believe that most of the talk about water loss is incorrect. As is most of the conventional wisdom around carbs.

Thank you! This is the most helpful comment yet. I save my carbs for “treats” but it makes more sustainable sense to focus on complex healthier carbs. Hoping to work on that too. Thanks again!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I know all of that. I can lose up to 10 lbs in 2 weeks on keto and I’m only 5 feet tall. So from 125 to 115. Am I carrying 10 lbs of water weight regularly? Perhaps. Esp since i already have the toned body, just obscured by the water retention. Either way, I dont want that water weight. I'll try doing low carb between 50 and 100 grms a day and see if the water weight stays off but i wont lose weight anymore.

i was hoping to see if others has similar experiences and what their low carb number was.

Good rule of thumb is don't lose the weight in a way you don't plan on sticking to to keep it off.

But that is what I’m trying to do, sticking to the same method which is low carb. Keto is a form of low carb, Im looking for my carb number where I don’t into Ketosis but don’t gain the weight back either.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I know all of that. I can lose up to 10 lbs in 2 weeks on keto and I’m only 5 feet tall. So from 125 to 115. Am I carrying 10 lbs of water weight regularly? Perhaps. Esp since i already have the toned body, just obscured by the water retention. Either way, I dont want that water weight. I'll try doing low carb between 50 and 100 grms a day and see if the water weight stays off but i wont lose weight anymore.

i was hoping to see if others has similar experiences and what their low carb number was.

Many years ago, I lost a lot of weight following Atkins. He wanted you to know how many carbs you could tolerate each day and he wanted you to take in carbs from the most nutrient dense sources, compared to glycemic impact. This meant berries and nuts first. My number was around 35 grams a day. But over time this number has dropped precipitously. I believe that most of the talk about water loss is incorrect. As is most of the conventional wisdom around carbs.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I know all of that. I can lose up to 10 lbs in 2 weeks on keto and I’m only 5 feet tall. So from 125 to 115. Am I carrying 10 lbs of water weight regularly? Perhaps. Esp since i already have the toned body, just obscured by the water retention. Either way, I dont want that water weight. I'll try doing low carb between 50 and 100 grms a day and see if the water weight stays off but i wont lose weight anymore.

i was hoping to see if others has similar experiences and what their low carb number was.

Good rule of thumb is don't lose the weight in a way you don't plan on sticking to to keep it off.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I know all of that. I can lose up to 10 lbs in 2 weeks on keto and I’m only 5 feet tall. So from 125 to 115. Am I carrying 10 lbs of water weight regularly? Perhaps. Esp since i already have the toned body, just obscured by the water retention. Either way, I dont want that water weight. I'll try doing low carb between 50 and 100 grms a day and see if the water weight stays off but i wont lose weight anymore.

i was hoping to see if others has similar experiences and what their low carb number was.

You didn't burn an extra 35,000 calories in 2 weeks. So no, sorry, you didn't actually lose fat or weight. Just extra fluids. Again--exhibit A of why keto is absurd.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I know all of that. I can lose up to 10 lbs in 2 weeks on keto and I’m only 5 feet tall. So from 125 to 115. Am I carrying 10 lbs of water weight regularly? Perhaps. Esp since i already have the toned body, just obscured by the water retention. Either way, I dont want that water weight. I'll try doing low carb between 50 and 100 grms a day and see if the water weight stays off but i wont lose weight anymore.

i was hoping to see if others has similar experiences and what their low carb number was.

Yes, you are. Muscles carry water in the form of glycogen and our bodies are made up of 55% water.

If you want real weight loss then lose the fat instead of just manipulating water.

OP here. Yes I know all of that. I can lose up to 10 lbs in 2 weeks on keto and I’m only 5 feet tall. So from 125 to 115. Am I carrying 10 lbs of water weight regularly? Perhaps. Esp since i already have the toned body, just obscured by the water retention. Either way, I dont want that water weight. I'll try doing low carb between 50 and 100 grms a day and see if the water weight stays off but i wont lose weight anymore.

i was hoping to see if others has similar experiences and what their low carb number was.

You didn't lose weight, you lost water. Big difference, and there's a reason why 99% of people who do keto don't keep the weight off.

Anonymous wrote:I lose weight really fast on keto but I don’t need to lose that much weight. However, I gradually gain the weight even when eating the same amt of calories as I used to. For those who has done keto and gotten off it but stayed low carb, what was your daily carb intake? I’m trying to find the optimal amt that will make me maintain whatever weight loss I have with keto and just wanted to see if anyone had any experiences to share. Thanks!

This is because when you do keto/cut most carbs you deplete your glycogen stores, retain a LOT less water and a significant portion of the weight you lose is water, not fat. When you add back in carbs you start to retain that water again.

I lose weight really fast on keto but I don’t need to lose that much weight. However, I gradually gain the weight even when eating the same amt of calories as I used to. For those who has done keto and gotten off it but stayed low carb, what was your daily carb intake? I’m trying to find the optimal amt that will make me maintain whatever weight loss I have with keto and just wanted to see if anyone had any experiences to share. Thanks!