I think most people start out keeping their carbs Under 40 in order to lose weight. I have stayed under 20 carbs, from vegetables. After reaching goal some people add more carbs at the rate of 5 carbs per week to see how many carbs they can eat to maintain. I continue to keep mine under 20 as I am very carb sensitive. I think each person has to experiment to see how many carbs per day they can tolerate.