Could someone fill me in on how many (not to exceed) carbs one should have in a day when you are in phase 5? Thank you.

Track your food (I use MyFitnessPal)

Read labels

Avoid added sugars (especially high fructose corn syrup)

Avoid starches (bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes, corn, etc)

I don't have a specific number target. If I do all of those things my carbs stay pretty low. I don't avoid good/complex carbs, though.

During my weight loss phase, I always stayed below 50 grams per day until I reached 75% of goal weight. Then I upped them to 75 grams per day in anticipation of maintenance.

Now in maintenance, I usually get around 80-100 grams. When I need to lose a few pounds, I lower them back down to below 50. That always seems to do the trick.

Oh, also....most of my carbohydrates come in the form of fruits, veggies and whole grains only. No "white" stuff.

I was never told a carb limit. Just a protein minimum and that really helped keep everything else in check during my weight loss phase. I was supposed to have 100 grams of protein per day, so I really just had no room left for carbs. If you are trying to keep your body in a constant state of ketosis, you probably need to stay below about 40 grams.

I went to my nut after reaching goal weight and she calculated my level of carbs for maintenance. It's different for everyone, as age, bmi, level of daily activity and other factors help identify the proper level.

She identified a level for my weight loss stage as well as maintenance and it's worked well for me .