I know the guidelines are 2-4wks for PH1.

I was wondering how you personally made the decision to start PH2. Did you base it on your weight loss? Cravings? Made it a certain amount of time in PH1?

Also, was there a particular food you added back into your diet first? Fruits, whole grains, veggies like carrots and sweet potatoes?

I understood that phase 1 was to only last 2 weeks and then you add one serving of good carbs the third week and so on (I have never read anything saying it should last from 2-4 weeks....where did you see that?)......

this past sunday i started phase 2 after two weeks on phase 1 and I added one ounce of rye bread for breakfast and will add another serving on sunday etc.....same with fruit.....

After 2 weeks, at the end of ph1, it was time.
I added strawberries the first week, then oatmeal the second I think.
for me ph1 has never been the weight loss bonanza it is for some. I have done it 4 times, never lost more than 5 lbs during the 2 weeks, but I go back to it when I need to get stricter or kick some cravings. That's the main thing for me. So I am not tempted to stay on it longer.

I think a lot of people misunderstand the reasons for P1....and stay on it longer than is recommended.

P1 is supposed to be (and written in all the books) as 2 weeks long. It is to help rid the body of cravings and toxins that have built up.

After 2 weeks on P1, then you slowly introduce yourself to P2.....

I have always read only 2 weeks. The last time around I did 3 weeks, but I was actually feeling so GOOD after the 2 weeks, I wanted to flush myself out well. I still lost weight on P2, so you shouldn't worry about the weight no longer coming off.

I just stay on for two weeks and then the cravings are gone and I move to Phase 1.5 :P I usually add fruit first, but hubs adds grain (I'd rather have my strawberries or apples than pizza or oatmeal :P)
Jess

I read once, in the British edition of SBD , That if you have greater than 100 lbs to loose you could continue with Phase 1 for up to a month. I did that my first time 4 years ago... This time I went to phase 2 after two weeks... The only difference for me was after a month I was terrified of eating anything not phase 1 friendly for fear of cravings. The detoxing, which is what phase 1 is about was easily accomplished after 2 weeks... I had a bowl of oatmeal day one of phase 2, with very little fruit and nuts and yogurt. It was the best bowl of oatmeal I ever ate! Lol!

phase 1 is 14 days. 2 weeks. Period. yes you can do it longer but since Phase 1 is not a healthy way to eat long term why would you?

Phase 1 is NOT the weight loss phase of this plan.
Phase 1 is about busting the cravings.

My cravings were gone long before 14 days were up but I did 14 days of phase 1 as written in the book....

then i did the slow transition to phase 2.

in fact, the transition to phase 2 is so slow that the first week or two are so much like phase 1 you barely miss it.

i added strawberries back the first week. after dinner. with ricotta cheese.

carrots are added back as you wish.

sweet potatoes while a veggie count as a grain/starch serving and i would add them back maybe the second week.

the third week have another fruit so that you have 2 fruits and one grain/starch each day...

fourth week add a second grain/starch.....

You definitely don't want to do Phase 1 for longer than 2 weeks. I'm not sure why there would be anything different in the British version of SBD--there's never been anything listed here saying that we could do Phase 1 any longer than 2 weeks. You can read more in the Phase 1 Time Limit thread in the FAQ; it's a repost of a Daily Dish newsletter from Dr. A.

Berries are often suggested as the best food to introduce when starting Phase 2 because they have such a low Glycemic Index (GI). This means they'll have very little effect on your blood sugar, and thus make it much easier to transition. However, if you've been craving something else, like an apple or oatmeal, feel free to try that first. You'll get lots of great information on how to successfully start P2 in the Emergency Handbook for Phase 2 and What's your P2 Combo? threads, both stickied in the FAQ.

Good luck!