South Beach diet guru struggles to stay on plan

He's only human, and that means the author of the best-selling "The South Beach Diet" (Rodale, $24.95) is an admitted chocoholic who battles to keep his weight in line, just like almost everybody else.

From Katie Couric on down, Miami cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston - he's still practicing medicine - has been upfront about his frailties in the diet department.

"I cheated a little bit over the holidays," he responds when asked about his adherence to the world-famous plan he developed for his patients.

"My wife said I was the only one not on the South Beach diet."

That could be. His publisher says the book ranked first on the list of bestselling nonfiction last year.

Based on a low (processed) carbohydrate diet - not all carbs are bad - that includes "good" oils such as olive oil, the eating plan is aimed at preventing heart disease, lowering cholesterol and reversing adult-onset diabetes.

This is accomplished after a two-week "detoxing" period when all carbs are removed, followed by the gradual introduction of whole fruits and whole grains. This allows people to lose their carb cravings along with an average of 7-14 pounds, he says.

"We actually encourage maximizing the good carbs, rather than limiting all carbs," he stresses.

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