Less than 20 carbs per day?

 I can just tell you that previously i was a severe carb lover.  I know that I have a carb addiction and it was a great deal to do with my weight problems.  After surgery I have kept my carbs around 20g and I don't count net carbs - I count them all.  While I do try to keep them mostly dietary fibers, I count each and every one.  
I am one of those that tries to be a little more strict with myself - simply because I am determined not to fail.  This was a huge thing for me to decide to do and I want desperately to succeed.  So I track everything, and avoid my trigger foods. 

Everyone's journey is different, but I know a lot of people that are carb counters like me. 

That makes total sense to me. Thank you for sharing it.

This is really tough because I've been told health benefits out weigh carbson my plan.. They want me to eat "real" oatmeal I can eat whatever veggies I want as long as I get in my protein including high carb ones I can eat fruit with meals or about an hour after. Nothing crappy basically. Everyone plan is different.. Mine works great for me when I follow it :-x

Eventually, if it's realistic, that is the diet I want to be on for the rest of my life.  1/3 cup of steel cut oats and some good meat protein is far more appealing to me than shakes, and I've avoided artificial sweeteners for years and hope to ditch them later, too.

I hope to someday be able to meet my nutritional needs with real food chosen well and eaten in small portions. We'll see how that works out.

What plan are you on?

I think you need to keep it mind that it's different from person to person.  So, what works for you may not work for someone else and v.v.  

For me, I choose to pay attention to my carbs but refuse to go low-carb.  My carbs, with a typical daily menu, run in the 80-120g range.  And, it works for me. Sure, at 20g a day, I'd likely lose faster.  BUT, what happens when I start adding in carbs as I know I (and most people) eventually will.  Let's face it, for most people, a lifetime of 20g is not realistic. Anyway, back to getting back to life and increasing those carbs after "living" on 20g/day.  You stop losing.  This was me exactly when I did hardcore Atkins.  Sure, I lost 10lbs/month but then I introduced carbs back into my life. Talk about a stall...

So, do what works for YOU! If you're OK with a slower (but steady) loss, go for it!  My slow loss was still 13lbs/month on average. I was (and am!) OK with that.  Remember, everyBODY is different!  GL!

Thanks for this advice! I understand where you're coming from and it makes perfect sense to me.

My attitude right now is that I have this amazing tool, I'm not experiencing real hunger, and I can stay pretty low carb w/o effort, so I will.  Eventually I will have to shift (as you say) but for now, while I have the honeymoon period of potential fast weight loss w/o hunger, I'm wanting to take advantage!

When it's time to start adjusting and maintaining, I'll figure that out then!