So I've read the old book and as much as I can from this forum. I still need to clarify two things.

You are limited to one serving of nuts a day (i.e 30 pistachios) and two 2TBSP servings of fats. (i.e olive oil, salad dressing, avocado). Is this correct? Or does the serving of nuts count towards 1 of your servings of fats?

Now with dairy you can have 2 cups a day but does hard cheese count in that limit? And if so, is 1 ounce considered 1/2 a cup of dairy?

The rest of phase 1 I can have unlimited allowed vegetables, eggs and lean protein as long as I eat reasonable portions that satisfy me? Of course I won't eat a 15 oz steak but I could eat a little more than the standard 3 oz?

Now with beans and legumes, I should only have 1/2 to 1/3 cup a day right?

I appreciate the feedback. I want to make my meal plan and buy my groceries for the week.

, nat4crim! I'm glad you've read up on this plan so you'll understand the fundamentals and exactly how it works.

Now, to answer your questions -
I may be wrong, but I've always counted nuts as a fat serving.
Cheese is counted as a protein, so you don't have to include it as part of your 2 cups of dairy.
And, yes, you may have unlimited servings of on-plan vegetables, along with reasonable amounts of protein. Just make sure you are eating at least 4 1/2 cups of veggies a day.
The reason it is recommended to start with 1/2 cup of beans is for obvious reasons, especially in people who aren't used to eating beans regularly, but if you can handle a larger serving than that, feel free to indulge. It is just a guideline.
On Phase 1 you should eat until you feel full and satisfied.

Good luck, and we look forward to hearing more from you!

My understanding is the nut serving is in addition to the 2 fat servings.

From the sticky:

NUTS AND SEEDS
(Limit to one serving per day as specified. Dry roasted recommended.)


FATS/OILS
Up to 2 Tbsp. of the following fats or oils are allowed daily.
Monounsaturated oils are particularly recommended.

Yes, I always counted my nuts outside of the fat servings. Here is what I strive for when doing Phase 1:
-1 nut serving
-2 fat servings
-2 dairy servings (not including cheese)
-1 or 2 cheese servings
-1 bean serving
-4-5 veggie servings
-animal protein as needed to supplement above

hope this is helpful...

Thanks for the replies everyone! I think I'll keep my nuts separate from the fat servings but aim to only get in one fat serving a day if possible. I like to snack and I have a feeling pistachios are about to become my friend. DH just emailed me to tell me he loves this part of his snack today. I can also go overboard on cheese so I think the suggestion to keep it to 2 servings a day maximum is a good one. I'll easily use up one serving as a snack ( i.e cheese string) but I can split up the other ounce throughout the day by adding to things like eggs, beans or as part of dinner.

Good to know about the beans, I thought it was a carb thing and that's why you were restricted to 1/2 a cup.

Eating too little fat can also stall your loss. I wouldn't recommend cutting out a serving BUT maybe you could cut a serving of fat if you add another serving of nuts.

Heathy oils (MUFA's) can aid weight loss, especially abdominal fat and increase satiety. I wouldn't skip the second serving.

Good point but I think the few sprays of olive oil I use throughout the day to prepare my food will help towards the fat quotient. And of course some days I'll have two servings of fat. For instance, I'm planning on having fajitas with lettuce wraps this week and some guacamole. And for lunch I'm having a salad with dressing.

Thanks for the feedback.