Hi Tanya, Take a look in the FAQ section-there's a slew of stickies that will help you understand South Beach, and stickies that provides info on foods for Phase 1 and 2.
As far as weight loss goes -it seems folks lose 3-8 pounds the first two weeks of phase 1. The weight loss slows on phase 2. Portion control, and adding only a few items from the phase 2 list help to find your balance. The book is pretty reasonably priced.. You could probably get a used one on amazon for a few dollars. hope thishelps