I've switched between low-carb and higher carb plans many times with some success. What I've learned (which may not apply to everyone).
1. The body needs more water to process carbohydrates, so when I switch from low-carb to high-carb I'm going to see a gain that isn't fat. It's just the water that the body is holding onto. Likewise, when I switch from high-carb to low-carb I'm also going to see a loss that also isn't fat loss. It's just the body shedding some of the water it no longer needs.
2. I can eat a few more calories on low-carb. I lose about the same amount of weight (not counting the first couple weeks when the water thing is an issue) on 1800 calories of low-carb as on 1500 calories of high carb.
3. I'm hungrier on high-carb. So much hungrier that I'm less hungry on 1000 calories of low-carb as on 4000 calories of high-carb.
4. I love carbs way too much, and once I start eating high-glycemic carbs I have a hard time stopping. I'm not someone who can have one bite of bread, potato, or pasta. My downfall isn't sweets nearly so much as starchy carbs. But even though I'm not drawn to sweets as much, if I start eating candy or other sweets, it increases my appetite for all foods including more sweets and/or "real food" carbs. High carb days often lead to binging and eating off plan.
#5. Even though I've eaten low-carb/low-calorie more often than not this year, I haven't lost any weight, because when I did eat high-carb, I ate too much high carb. I've succeeded in "not gaining" this year (which is my first and foremost goal) but I haven't succeeded at the weight loss (in part because I have a harder time controlling my appetite on high-carb).
Even healthy, good-carb carby foods are trigger foods for me. I can binge on quinoa and fruit, almost as easily as on junk food (easier perhaps because I like fruit better than junk).
#1 isn't really important to me, because I can deal with the up and down fluctuations I can expect to see on the scale when transitioning back and forth.
But the rest really indicates for me that I need to eat low-carb not only "more often than not" (as in more than half the time), I need to be eating low-carb far more often than high-carb.
I'm still not entirely convinced that I have to eat very-low-carb the rest of my life, but I do find that I have to have stricter rein on my carb intake. My high-carb days need to be fewer and further between, and I need to make sure that the high-carb foods I do eat are also low-glycemic and high in fiber to prevent the starved-rabid-hunger that high-glycemic carbs trigger.
From what I've read much of my problems may be insulin-resistance related - so as I lose more weight, my reaction to carby foods may improve and become less extreme.
I'm not trying to disuade you from transitioning. Actually quite the opposite. The only way you'll know how your body reacts is to experiment. There are no hard-and-fast rules, so you've got to experiment.
Even though I didn't lose much if any weight this entire year, I don't feel that I've failed. Not only have I succeeded at weight maintenance (at "not gaining), I've also learned a great deal about what helps and what hinders me.
Even if I had gained, I could be proud of the information I gained. I would have successfully learned what doesn't work.
And I think that's the way to go into any experiment - realizing that the results may or may not meet or exceed your expectations. Even disappointing results are still a success in learning what does and doesn't work.
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