I've read differing things about starting phase 2. Some say you can only add one new food a week, while meal plans I see include fruit and whole wheat starches in the same day. The SBD book has these types of meal plans. So I figured if I had to choose one it'd probably be whole wheat bread. So would it be safe to eat Phase 1 breakfast, a whole wheat sandwich of some sort for lunch, phase 1 dinner? Also does anyone know if Subways whole wheat subs are Phase 1 acceptable? When can I add in the South Beach "snacks" such as the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies?

CTripp, I'll answer what I can. I'm sure other chicks can cover the rest.
The original SBD book has never been updated. That's why this site is important for updated food lists and tips. Some foods are now allowed that were not when the book was published. I can tell you that adding things back slowly is important. The first time I did SBD, I followed the book menus to the letter. As soon as I started Ph2, my cravings returned and I couldn't stay on the plan. This time I added oatmeal the first week, then a piece of fruit the second week, etc. Things went much more smoothly, I did not have any cravings, and I maintained a steady loss rate. If you want to add a piece of bread as your first Ph2 item, I would suggest just one slice (an open-faced sandwich). This is still the only way I eat sandwiches anymore. And read the sticky about bread choices to make sure you are getting one with enough whole grains, fiber, and as little sugars as possible. There are some excellent threads here too about tips for starting Ph2. Lots of people add berries back early, as they are low glycemic fruits. I'm not sure about the Subway breads, but they might have nutrition information on their website that you could compare with the bread sticky guidelines to see. I'll bet their whole wheat bread is not a great choice. Some chicks on another thread ask the sandwich maker to scoop out the insides of the bread first and add extra veggies. I also think Subway makes salads too. I'm not sure about any legal chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, but if there is a recipe for that, I'd love to have it. Maybe it is a Ph3 treat?

Subway's wheat bread is not whole wheat so it is not truly acceptable for phase 2. You would be better off with a salad.

I agree with Schmoodle on starting phase 2 slowly. You want to add one thing a week so you can tell if it is setting off cravings for you. The menus in the book are more for someone who has been on phase 2 for awhile.

Yeah that's kind of what I had assumed. I'm just getting tired of salads and soups. I'm also considering bringing back whole wheat english muffins because I could use them for breakfast one day and lunch the next and eat only half at a time.
The cookies I was talking about, I bought at the grocery store. They're south beach brand and it says Phase 2&3 on the box. I'll probably wait til I get to a certain weight. Right now I'm around 162, so maybe when I get to 150, I'll add it in.
Am I correct in the max servings for fruit and carbs a day in Phase 2 is 2-3 of each? That sounds like a lot of food.

Yes, you are right about the servings, but it takes some experimenting to find what works best for you. Some people are affected by certain types of fruit, some can't eat any pasta at all, some do fine with it. For me, seems like I can eat any kind of on-plan bread or grain or fruit, but I do best with 1 serving fruit/day and 1 or 2 servings of grains. Also, if I eat oatmeal for breakfast, I have to eat an egg too, because the oatmeal doesn't hold me until lunch. And cold cereal doesn't do it at all.

Does semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate count as a food that would have to be added in in Phase 2? For instance if in the first week I add in some whole wheat bread and the second week a fruit, could I have the fruit and some chocolate in the second? Or would I need to reintroduce chocolate in the third week?

I recently purchased the SBD Good Fats Good Carbs Guide and the only chocolate candy I have found listed in it is a Dark Chocolate Hershey's Kiss. The guide states that on P2 it should be Very Limited (once every 2-3 months) in in P3 they should be Limited (once a week) - serving size 1oz.

It also says that you can re-introduce sparingly bittersweet & semisweet chocolate into your diet on phase 2. Not exactly sure what that includes.

Well I would think that their brand phase 2 cookies would be okay, but just the same, I'll try to wait a few more weeks before doing that. I was and am hopelessly addicted to cookies and suspect I may have to eliminate them.

The South Beach Diet cookies aren't that good anyway.

Kara

I think at this point I would eat cardboard cookies if they have chocolate chips drawn on them.

Why not just a piece of good quality dark chocolate???

Kara

Yeah I may end up doing that. Can I eat chocolate now or does it have to be added in? I'm really enjoying hot cocoa with splenda instead of sugar, and I saw a good looking recipe for oatmeal cookies. I think oatmeal cookies with a square of dark chocolate would hit the spot.

CTripp, you could enjoy a small (1oz) piece of dark chocolate now as a once-a-week treat. Just watch afterwards to see if it effects your cravings at all. I don't seem to have any problems with it, thank goodness!
I keep my chocolate stash in the freezer, that way I can take the time to savor my treat. I let it melt slowly on my tongue. Mmmmmmm!