Hi! I'm new here - first day trying out the plan.
As I look at the foods list, I see "dairy" is limited to 2 cups/day, but cheese is listed in a seperate category, with no limit listed. Is there a cheese limit? Is cheese not included in the dairy limit?
(I read the book from the library sometime in the past year, but I'm finally ready to try, and this site makes everything so clear - thanks!)

I have a similar question: From what I remember in the book (which I've lost), milk and yogurt are not allowed at all during Phase I. On the list here, it says they are. Am I just remembering incorrectly?

Phase 1 Foods - Note: Portions are not limited unless otherwise specified.
CHEESE (FAT-FREE OR LOW-FAT)
Look for varieties that have 6 grams of fat or less/ounce
American
Cheddar
Cottage cheese, 1-2% or fat-free
Cream cheese substitute, dairy-free
Feta
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Part-skim Ricotta
Part-skim String
Provolone
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49548
Hope this helps!

milk and fat free plain yogurt are allowed and even encouraged in phase 1. Check the updated food lists. The newest paperback of the book has the revised list as well.

Phase I updated food list:

Phase I food list from the official South Beach web site:



Quote:
PROTEIN
MILK/DAIRY
BEANS/LEGUMES
VEGETABLES
NUTS AND SEEDS
FATS/OILS
SEASONINGS AND CONDIMENTS
SWEET TREATS
SUGAR SUBSTITUTES
BEVERAGES

PROTEIN
BEEF Lean* cuts, such as:
Bottom Round
Eye of Round
Flank Steak
Ground beef:

Extra Lean (96/4)

Lean (92/8)

Sirloin (90/10)

London Broil
Pastrami, lean
Sirloin Steak
T-bone
Tenderloin
Top Loin
Top Round

* Lean meat has, per 100 gram portion, 10 grams or less of total fat and 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat.



POULTRY (SKINLESS)
Cornish hen
Low-fat turkey sausage (3-6 grams of fat per 60 gram serving) can be eaten as an occasional treat (approximately once/week)
Turkey bacon (2 slices per day)
Turkey and chicken breast


SEAFOOD
All types of fish and shellfish
Water-packed tuna and other canned fish
Salmon roe
Sashimi


PORK
Boiled ham
Canadian bacon
Loin
Tenderloin


VEAL
Chop
Cutlet, leg
Top round


LAMB (Remove all visible fat)
Center Cut
Chop
Loin


LUNCHMEAT
Fat-free or low-fat only
Boiled ham
Deli sliced turkey breast
Steamship roast beef
Smoked ham


MEAT SUBSTITUTES (SOY BASED)
Unless otherwise stated, look for products that have 6 grams of fat or less per 2-3 ounce serving
Bacon - Limit to 2 slices per day
Burger
Chicken, unbreaded
Hot Dogs
Sausage Patties and Links - Limit 1 patty or 2 links per day
Seiten
Soy Crumbles - 1/4 cup (2 oz) suggested serving
Soy Nuts - 1/4 cup for a protein snack is suggested serving
Tempeh 1/4 cup suggested serving
Tofu All varieties, 1/2 cup suggested serving
Yuba (Bean Curd or Sheet)


CHEESE (FAT-FREE OR LOW-FAT)
Look for varieties that have 6 grams of fat or less/ounce
American
Cheddar
Cottage cheese, 1-2% or fat-free
Cream cheese substitute, dairy-free
Feta
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Part-skim Ricotta
Part-skim String
Provolone
Swiss


EGGS
The use of whole eggs is not limited unless otherwise directed by your doctor. Use egg whites and egg substitute as desired.


MILK/DAIRY
MILK/DAIRY
(2 cups allowed daily, including yogurt)
Low-fat milk (fat-free and 1%)
Fat-free 1/2 & 1/2 (less than 2 tablespoons)
Low-fat plain, vanilla, or sucralose-containing soy milk (4 grams of fat or less per 8 ounce serving). Be sure the product does not contain high fructose corn syrup
1% or fat-free buttermilk
Fat-free plain yogurt


BEANS/LEGUMES
BEANS/LEGUMES
(Start with 1/3 - 1/2 cup serving)
Adzuki Beans
Black Beans
Black-eyed peas
Broad Beans
Butter Beans
Cannellini Beans
Chickpeas or Garbanzo
Edamame
Great Northern Beans
Italian Beans
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Lima Beans
Mung Beans
Navy Beans
Pigeon Peas
Pinto Beans
Soy Beans
Split Peas
White Beans


VEGETABLES
VEGETABLE CHOICES
(May use fresh, frozen or canned without added sugar)
Artichokes
Arugula
Asparagus

Broccoli
Bok Choy
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Capers
Cauliflower
Celery
Chayote
Chicory
Collard Greens
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Endive
Fennel
Garlic
Green Beans
Hearts of palm
Jicama
Kale
Leeks
Lettuce (All varieties)
Mushrooms (All varieties)
Mustard Greens
Nopales
Okra
Onions
Parsley
Peppers (All varieties)
Pickles - Dill or artificially sweetened
Radicchio
Radishes (All varieties)
Rhubarb
Sauerkraut
Scallions
Sea Vegetables
Snap Peas
Snow peas
Spinach
Sprouts
Squash, Spaghetti
Squash, Summer

Yellow

Zucchini

Swiss Chard
Tomato
Tomato Juice
Turnip Greens
Vegetable Juice Cocktail
Water Chestnuts
Watercress
Wax Beans
Zucchini


NUTS AND SEEDS
NUTS AND SEEDS (Limit to one serving per day as specified. Dry roasted recommended.)
Almonds - 15
Brazil Nuts - 4
Cashews - 15
Filberts - 25
Flax Seed - 3 TBS (1 oz)
Hazelnuts - 25
Macadamia - 8
Peanut Butter, Natural, and other nut butters - 2 TBS
Peanuts, 20 small (May use dry roasted or boiled)
Pecans - 15
Pine Nuts (Pignolia) - 1 ounce
Pistachios - 30
Pumpkin Seeds - 3 TBS (1 oz)
Sesame Seeds - 3 TBS (1 oz)
Soy Nuts - 1/4 cup
Sunflower Seeds - 3 TBS (1 oz)
Walnuts - 15


FATS/OILS
FATS/OILS
The following monounsaturated oils are recommended to be consumed daily:
Oil, canola
Oil, olive
Other Oil Choices that may be chosen (Polyunsaturated or a blend of Monounsaturated):
Corn
Enova
Flax
Grapeseed
Peanut
Safflower
Sesame
Soybean
Sunflower
Other Fat Choices:
Avocado - 1/3 whole = 1 TBS oil
Guacamole - 1/2 cup = 1 TBS oil
Margarine - Chose those that do not contain Trans Fatty Acids such as Fleishmann's Premium Olive Oil or Smart Balance
Mayonnaise - Regular - 1 TBS
Mayonnaise - Low Fat - 2 TBS (avoid varieties made with high fructose corn syrup)
Olives (Green or Ripe) 15 = 1/2 TBS oil
Salad Dressing - 2 TBS. Use those that contain 3 grams of sugar or less per 2 TBS. Best choices contain canola or olive oil. Low carb salad dressings may also be used if they meet these guidelines.


SEASONINGS AND CONDIMENTS
SEASONINGS AND CONDIMENTS
All spices that contain no added sugar
Broth
Espresso powder
Extracts (almond, vanilla, or others)
Horseradish sauce
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray
Lemon Juice
Lime Juice
Pepper (black, cayenne, red, white)
Salsa (check labels for added sugar)
Use the following toppings and sauces sparingly (check labels for added sugar and MSG)
Cream Cheese, fat-free or light - 2 TBS
Hot Sauce
Low carb condiments, as long as they meet South Beach guidelines (have no added fat and are sugar-free/contain no added sugar)
Miso - 1/2 TBS
Shoyu - 1/2 TBS
Sour Cream, light and reduced-fat - 2 TBS
Soy Sauce - 1/2 TBS
Steak Sauce - 1/2 TBS
Tamari
Worcestershire Sauce - 1 TBS
Whipped Topping, Light or Fat-Free - 2 TBS



SWEET TREATS
SWEET TREATS (Limit to 75 calories per day)
Sweet treats are items that contain sugar alcohols, such as:
Candies, hard, sugar-free
Chocolate powder, no-added-sugar
Cocoa powder, baking type
Fudgsicles, no sugar added
Gelatin, sugar-free
Gum, sugar-free
Jams and jellies, sugar-free
Popsicles, sugar-free
Syrups, sugar-free
Some Sugar Free Products may be made with sugar alcohols (isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol or xylitol) and are permitted on the SBD. They may have associated side effects of GI distress (abdominal pain, diarrhea & gas) if consumed in excessive amounts.


SUGAR SUBSTITUTES
SUGAR SUBSTITUTES
Acesulfame K
Fructose (needs to be counted as Sweet Treats, Caloric Limit)
Nutrasweet (Equal)
Saccharin (Sweet & Low)
Sucralose (Splenda)


BEVERAGES
BEVERAGES
Decaf Coffee and Tea
Diet, decaffeinated, sugar-free sodas and drinks
Herbal teas (peppermint, chamomile, etc.)
Milk (1% or fat-free) and soymilk (low-fat plain). See MILK/DAIRY.
Sugar-free powdered drink mixes
Vegetable Juice
Note: caffeinated coffee or diet sodas with caffeine added are allowed, but limited to 1 - 2 servings per day.

Foods to Avoid

BEEF
Brisket
Jerky, unless homemade without sugar
Liver
Other fatty cuts
Prime Rib
Rib steaks


POULTRY
Chicken, wings and legs
Duck
Goose
Poultry products, processed
Turkey, dark meat (including wings and thighs)


PORK
Honey-baked ham
Pork rinds


VEAL
Breast


CHEESE
Brie
Edam
Nonreduced fat


VEGETABLES
Beets
Carrots
Corn
Green peas
Potatoes, white
Potatoes, sweet
Pumpkin
Turnips (root)
Winter squash
Yams


FRUIT
Avoid all fruits and fruit juices in Phase 1, including:


Apples
Apricots
Berries
Cantaloupe
Grapefruit
Peaches
Pears


STARCHES AND CARBS
Avoid all starchy food in Phase 1, including:

Bread, all types
Cereal
Croutons, all types
Matzo
Oatmeal
Rice, all types
Pasta, all types
Pastry and baked goods, all types


MILK/DAIRY
Ice cream
Milk, whole


MISCELLANEOUS
No regular ketchup or cocktail sauce
No pork rinds - too high in saturated fat
No jerky - too high in sugar content


BEVERAGES
Alcohol of any kind, including beer and wine

Cheese is under the protein category, so you do not need to calculate that into your daily dairy allotment.

Though it's not limited, as with anything - too much of it will cause a stall in your weightloss.