Go join this forum discussion group at Yahoo Groups:
Newbies2SouthBeachDiet
You don't have to post there, but in the files & archives there is a summary of the SBD book as well as lists of approved things to eat. You will be able to read the differences, since you already know about Atkins.
South Beach Diet is NOT LOW carbs like Atkins. It is eating the RIGHT carbs and the RIGHT fats and fiber with a moderate amount of protein.
It was never intended to be a weight reducing diet. It was developed by a cardiologist (heart doctor) who was trying to get his patients to live till their next check up by unclogging their arteries, lowering their cholestrol & balancing their blood sugar levels. Adult on-set diabetes is one of the leading growing epidemics in AMERICA today vs. the rest of the world. The weight loss is simply a healthy by-product. The Dr. talks very much about Adult on-set diabetes in the book.
Our industrial machinery nowadays has processed and pulverized grains and carbohydrates down to almost non-nutritional values. They simply turn immediately into sugar in the body. Basically, these are called "simple" carbs because they are broken down so much even before the body digests it. There is a reason white bread has to be enriched - meaning vitamins & minerals PUT BACK in - they were pulverized & stripped out of the original wheat grains.
To use a gruesome analogy, it's like how the particles of the World Trade Center buildings were pulverized into such unrecognizable dust and body fragments relative could not recognise family members. How is your body supposed to recognised pulverized-beyond-recognition nutrients and do something useful with them?
The RIGHT carbs are what are known as Complex carbs, like whole GRAIN foods, ie. whole grain breads - like 7 grain bread, long grain & wild rice, bran, veggies with fiber and a low glycemic (sugar) index.
Whole Wheat should not be confused with whole GRAIN bread, because nowadays, even that is so stripped & pulverized, it has become a deceptive ad-word like "low fat".
The RIGHT fats are unsaturated fats, like those in nuts, tofu, etc., vs. saturated fats (artery clogging) in meats, dairy, etc.
None of this is NEW information. Complex carbs & unsaturated fats are taught in high school biology classes for years.
South Beach Diet simply gives GUIDELINES on what are better things to eat and when, including 3 healthy snacks a day, to combat the sugar cravings that natually accompany a low blood sugar dip. We have become a society used to eating, picking & buying high, simple carb items, because of industrialization & advertizing. He's just helping us to start consciously picking BETTER carb & fat foods, vs. our badly programed choices.
Atkins allows eating unlimited fats (both saturated & unsaturated) and (almost) no carbs. He has his own research for why this is possible.
Personally, I think: You ARE what you eat. But this isn't supposed to be a thread on debating one diet vs. the other. Do your own research & decide which makes better sense to you. The point is for you to stablize your blood sugar & drop the weight. If you drop the weight, the diabetes may go away.
BTW: A lot of these new specially formulated "low carb" foods are high, high in fats. For SB dieters, check the labels. Again, SB is not LOW carbs. It is eating the RIGHT carbs and the RIGHT fats and fiber with a moderate (normal) amount of protein.
Even more tasty! 
The main difficulty I find is organizing my time to go shopping and to prepare my meals and snacks ahead of time. I have started phase I again this week and am hopeful that I can stick to it this time. Phase I is low carb, but it still stresses the importance of vegetables (most fruits are on the no no list). Phase I is only recommended for two weeks. The purpose of phase I is to rid you of your cravings for refined sugar. After phase I, you start introducing fruits and good carbs back into your diet. Once you reach your target weight, you advance to phase III. I recommend purchasing the cookbooks (they are reasonably priced at 
Always great new ideas for healthy eating. Best of luck to you!
