I switched from Atkins to SB about a month ago.
Let me start off by saying that I do believe that if Atkins is done correctly, that it can be a great diet. But I find that most people, myself included, don't get past Phase 1 or 2. There are 4 phases in Atkins with the last 2 phases having you increase your carbs and lowering your fat intake. And having read the Atkins book twice, I felt there was some incredibly beneficial information that he wrote about, such as Understanding the Importance of Insulin, the Glycemic Index for foods, and how the Dept. of Agriculture had an affect on the food Pyriamid and the American diet.
That being said...I switched from Atkins to South Beach recently for a number of reasons. First, let me say that I will always be on a controlled carb diet/lifestyle. But I struggle with it at times. And on Atkins I found myself either being on Phase 1 Induction or falling off the wagon. There was never an in-between for me. After over 1 1/2 years of doing Atkins, I went from 230 lbs down to 214...but I kept cheating so I gained alot of it back. I just couldn't stick to the program.
So I had to find something that fit my needs. I didn't want to go the stricter route like Palieo. So I was willing to give South Beach a try because there was a little more flexibility and choices. I've always been a vegetable lover and I never felt like I was deprived of vegetables while doing Atkins. But my issue was with missing out on dairy, sweet treats, and nuts/seeds. I struggled with not having yogurt because I had always been told to eat it for the nutritional benefits of Acidophilus and Active Cultures. And in the first phase of South Beach you can have all of those things.
I use to count all my carbs every day. And when I switched to South Beach that was a little ackward for me to give up. I still look at the carb count of things before I purchase them at the store, but I'm not so hung up on just focusing on the carbs. There is so much more to consider like fat content and ingredients. Journaling all of my food really helps too.
I'm enjoying the switch so far. And my weight has dropped. I feel like I can enjoy some of the foods I was missing out on and still lose weight. I have a number of friends who have done SB and have been very successful at it. I will probably never go back to eatting white bread, white rice, white pasta, and pototoes. But I'm enjoying what I'm eatting now and I feel healthier.
This is a journey we are all on and there are many paths to take. Best wishes to you.