I am just starting to figure this phasing off thing and I am keeping wheat and soy out of my diet. So I am looking at the list of carbs that I can eat and it is much shorter than the list of what I can't eat.

So since no wheat will naturally keep the carb count lower, how many carbs should I be shooting for?

Good question. Id love to hear the responses

I'm only approaching maintenance myself so I don't have a carb count for you. Try posting in the maintainers thread to see if you get a response from there. Also consider it may not be how many carbs but what kind of carbs are best for you.

I will say from experience though, going gluten free is higher in carbs and it is what I believe caused my latest major weight gain. I had lost 75lbs doing a low GI diet, lots of whole grains. Then I found out I had a gluten intolerance and cut all wheat and gluten out of my system. I ate rice, rice flour, soy flour, corn products, etc. The problem I discovered is that these items are higher in GI and in carbs than whole wheat flours, etc. Try looking at commercially available gluten free breads and they are typically double that of a low to average carb bread. When I switched to these products, my cravings and eating habits went out of control and I ballooned up almost to my top weight before starting IP.

I am personally planning to cut out most grains including rice and corn for maintenance. It is more a paleo or cavemen style and this will effectively reduce carbs for me. I personally think IP maintenance will be easier for me because of this style and being gluten free means I don't have some of the foods available to cause temptation. I think you'll do fine with it as well but you need to find the balance of what will work for you.

I would definitely post this in the maintenance thread, however, I'd love to know this too. I do MyFitness Pall and have my carbs set at 20% of my calories, so I wonder what I would set that at when I go into maintenance. However, because I'm insulin resistant, I know the amount of carbs I eat will most likely be different from others and I will have to learn the best amount that works for me and doesn't allow me to gain too much. So I do think it will be different for each person. Great question!! If you find out, please let us know!!

I would think arounf 50. Since I am only eating 20 on Phase 1, 50 makes sense.

Well If you are working out you need 100g, but also depens on your weight. I am 5 foot 120 lbs.

I've been playing around with MyFitnessPal and I think when I hit maintanence I may start by adjusting my calories to 1300 or 1400 and change my carbs to 40% of that with protein and fat at 30%. I imagine I will change this as I go, but I would be doubling my carbs by going to 40%.. and I think that's enough for me since I have IR. My metabolic Dr also has IR and she says one thing she notices when she adds to many carbs back, is she starts to gain. So I know it will be a test and see what happens type of thing...

You will find if you follow the maintenance thread that it is different for everyone. Each body responds to all the types of food in its own way. So people begin adding things back slowly and see how their bodies respond.
Personally I think the best indicator is how your body responds to phase 3.
Many people add the carbs etc as outlined with the phase 3 breakfast and do just fine, maintaining or even losing during that time.
Other people start to regain immediately. Unfortunately for me I was one of the second group and realize I will always have to go quite low carb. As Kitkat pointed out it is not just gluten free but pretty well totally grain free.

But if you come through phase 3 with no big issues you can likely handle the more balanced approach.
Pat

I cant live low carb, so I think working out is key for maintenance.

I just started Insanity. So I do need to increase my calories. I don't want too much of a deficit.

50g carbs would not be nearly enough in maintenance - that's the upper end of what just BREAKFAST carbs should be in P4!

I have kind of figured it this way:

30-50g carbs for breakfast (according to the phase 3 breakfast guidelines)

Dinner should be 1 serving of a complex carb/whole grain. That works out to about 40-50g carbs as well.

Lunch should be carb poor, so 20-30g carbs at most

Snacks have been tough for me to figure, but I'm working with about 20-40g snack carbs per day. this is spread out through the day in two or three snacks. I am still figuring out the snack thing, but right now I'm shooting for one carbier snack and one more fat-based snack.

Great Info Scorbett! Thanks so much!

Always an intelligent response from you Scorbett!

My friend asked me how many calories I planned to shoot for, and I told her 1400-1600. But if I am burning 2400 according to my Body Media Fit, that isn't going to be enough. My brain gets it but every other fiber in my being is fighting it.

And with the thyroid issue, I am going to keep the wheat out. But it isn't that I am going to replace it with gluten-free foods. I plan on sticking with lean and green.