Thread: South Beach Diet basics?

I've been following the Atkins plan for several weeks and it's been slowly working. However, I'm thinking of switching to South Beach after 25 pounds. It's my understanding that the transition would allow me more vegetables and even sparing use of grains. I glanced through a friend's book, but couldn't quickly find the "basics" breakdown.

I noticed the SB book, like Atkins, had a list of food for each phase. But unlike Atkins, where you count carbs, there are no limits listed. Surely there are limits of some sort, right? After all, in Phase II the SB book reintroduces breads, wine and even chocolate.

If not, I might not even invest in the SB book until I've reached goal. From past experience, I know that I'm one of those people who needs some structure during the weight loss stage.

Thank you. I'll have to check it out this weekend. I'd gone to the original South Beach site before starting Atkins, but was turned off by the $5 a week charge to access the site and get information. I think this site will help me make a more informed choice to either stick with Atkins for the long haul or switch later on as I look to ease into and eventually follow a low carb maintenance lifestyle. I still have quite a ways to go before I get there, but I figure it's never too early to do the research.

At the beginning of this thread is a sticky with SBD links from Prevention Magazine. They do a good job of summarizing the diet.