The most flexible low-carb/moderate-carb plan I know is the Insulin Resistant Diet framework. It allows up to 30 grams of carb per meal (basically two slices of bread, or a bag of chips or a cookie, but not all three). It limits your carbs to a moderate level in an easy, flexible way, and because you pair what carbs you DO eat with protein, it stops your blood sugar from spiking too fast.
Even though I eat much lower carb than this most of the time, knowing I can eat up to 30 grams of carb/meal gives me great flexibility. The guidelines are really easy, too:
- LINK: Never eat carbs alone. Always link them with protein with every meal or snack.
- BALANCE: For each serving (15 grams) of carbs, balance it with at least one serving (9 grams) of protein
- LIMIT: Do not eat more than two servings (30 grams) of carbs in any meal (15 grams per snack)
Within that basic framework, I have a lot of flexibility. And it's a very easy way to ease into lower-carb without too much hassle. If you find that you feel better or lose faster with even lower carb, you can do so.