Goal weight for stopping P1?
 

My coach suggested I go 5lbs below my goal weight before begining to phase off. The reasoning is that most people gain 3-5 pounds back. They suggest skipping p2, and straight to P3.

Any thoughts on this?

Skipping P2 is becoming more common, though I definitely found a benefit to having a couple of weeks where I was eating more REAL food but not having to do the detailed planning involved in P3 breakfasts right off the bat. Plus it eased my digestive system back into more real food and less processed food - your digestive tract can get lazy if it doesn't have to work too hard to break food down.

Regarding goal weight, you will probably actually continue to lose weight in P2 and possibly also P3. It will slow down considerably in P3, but the calorie count is still very low so you do keep losing a bit. I lost 3 additional pounds after starting P2. Now in maintenance, I see my weight fluctuate in about a 4lb window above and below my goal weight (the weight when I started P2), and I am finding more and more that is totally normal. If you really want to push past your goal weight that is your decision, but know that even if you do that, you will see the scale go up and down in maintenance and it's OK :) the most important lessons for maintenance are to balance your foods carefully, be mindful of what you eat, and know that phase 1 is always there for you if things creep up above where you're comfortable :)