hey ladies i just had a quick question, i've been doing really well and sticking to the guidelines on phase one but i binged one night, superbowl sunday lol, the thing is i'm not sure if i should restart my phase one or just finish it and move on to the second phase

if you haven't had cravings from it or are feeling your cravings are under control I would just go ahead as planned... if yoiu feel you have caused them to return I would restart... More than likely IMO, you are fine... good for you for jumping right back on plan!

I (respectfully) disagree with Rikki. I think that having a clean Phase 1 is the only way to start this diet. It's the difference in building a house on a foundation made of stone and a foundation made of cake (mmm...cake).

I don't believe there is a definitive answer to this question as I've seen it come up a lot and really have never seen one given. I think it is more to the preference of the dieter. There are some with iron willpower and doing a clean phase 1 is no problem and others who struggle with phase 1 so much that they just end up going to phase 2 -- to be honest, from what I've seen the latter are the ones that don't make it. Dieting is a chore (SB makes it a fun chore, though!) and only those that are in the right mindset will complete it (think of those lazy, cold Sundays when you know you really should be cleaning the house, but end up watching a CSI marathon the entire day).

Take this for what it is worth and good luck to you, friend.

Maadsweet, how far into Phase 1 were you when you went off-plan? If you were within the first week of it, then I'd advise you to start Phase 1 all over again. But if Phase 1 was almost completed, then, as long as you aren't experiencing any cravings, you should just carry on as scheduled. Phase 1 is designed to completely rid yourself of any cravings, and if you aren't over them, then Phase 2 is going to be very difficult to follow.

I've also seen some people say that they binged when they ate more of the allowed foods. That is not likely to cause cravings and is less serious than eating off plan foods. The purpose of phase 1 is to get rid of cravings and I think cottage and Zeff have the right idea.

Maadsweet...weight loss is such a personal journey. Listen to your body and you will know what you need to do. I've been on Phase 1 several times and sometimes I make it a solid 2 weeks with no flubs, other times I have found myself dying only a week into it and I ended up sliding off completely or going into Phase 2. The important thing here is that you did get back on plan, whether it's P1 or P2, being OP is what matters MOST! If you find you are having uncontrollable cravings, I genuinely think Phase 1 helps to curb those. But if you are feeling okay with where you are just chalk it up to a bad day and get on with it. You can do this !

Maad, there are, as you can tell, lots of different ideas about this. Here's my $0.02.

If you binged on things that aren't allowed in Phase 1 (as opposed to, say, eating a lot of dairy or beans), and this is the first time you've ever done Phase 1, I'd start over. Not only is it, as Zeffryn says, the difference between building a foundation of stone and a foundation of cake (I also agree with the mmmm ), but it also convinces you to avoid those kind of unplanned off-plan excursions in the future. Doing a good P1 at the beginning of this way of eating (WOE) is really important, I think.

If you do decide to continue on without starting over, I'd ensure that you get at least 5 more days in, unless you know from past experience how long it takes you to detox from sugar and it's less than 5. It's hard to recognize cravings, especially when you want to convince yourself to avoid more P1. You need to get the sugar out of your system or this WOE just won't work. That's my way of looking at it. And I think everyone should get the chance to feel the bliss of being craving free! It's amazing!

just so we're clear...

LOL, ZEFF!!!! Sweet, simple and to the point! LOVE IT! hahaha

I just licked my screen.

Chelby, you crack me up! You know what my first thought was? "Mmmm.... cake!"

But then I thought about how un-yummy cake looks on my belly...and thighs...and decided it's much yummier when I think about it than when I eat it. Thanks, Zeff!