Sometimes when I am having a very hungry day I eat an extra snack. It's always a "legal" and nutritous food (cheese, milk etc.), a small portion and it's not very often - like once a week at most. I try to make it dairy if it's an "extra" snack because it's filling and I like getting the extra dairy calcium.

Is this really cheating? Or is it "sort of" cheating? It does keep me from eating illegal food when I'm having a really hungry day, so it can't be all bad.

The book says eat until you are full, so I say you are doing the right thing.

It's not cheating at all! If you are hungry, eat....but be sure it's the right food.

I add snacks all the time! As long as you keep it OP, you should be fine. In 5 1/2 months of being on South Beach, I have not gained back anything I've lost, so I don't think the occasional extra snack has hurt me at all. The diet aims to keep your blood sugar levels nice and even, so an extra OP snack, especially if you feel the hunger is getting out of control, is OK.

I have bigger (or extra) snacks than are recommended because I don't tend to have dressings and so on so my calories would be too low if I didn't. I still lose weight but occasionally I find myself snacking out of habit or boredom and the scales don't move so I have to look seriously at my snacks.

Yes... I have the same question, actually. I know milk is limited, but if I'm feeling a bit "low", I find that a cup of milk helps tremendously. Even if I've had 2 cups already that day.

Any thoughts on that? I feel like I'm cheating if I do that, so I try to avoid, but wouldn't I be better off to have a skim milk rather than a handfull of nuts, if veggies aren't available?

I would think so since there is no fat.