Diets can be too complicated. If you have to count calories or points or carbs or ounces, it's hard to keep it up for any length of time -- especially when you don't want to.

Dr. Gott's got you on this one; he's made it real simple, and there's no way you can say you lost count on his diet.

Author of the nationally syndicated newspaper column, "Ask Dr. Gott," which is featured in The Times and Democrat, Dr. Peter H. Gott has a practice in rural Connecticut. He is known for his common-sense approach to health issues.

During his 40 years in medicine, he has constantly been asked by patients and readers for a simple way to lose weight. In response, he wrote "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet" (Warner Wellness: New York, ISBN-10: 0-446-58248-4).

"No Flour, No Sugar" works simply because if you eliminate flour and sugar from your diet, you will consume less calories.

Like a car needs gas, the body needs fuel, and, Dr. Gott says, the amount you need can be determined by multiplying your weight in pounds by 13 (15 if you are physically active). For optimal health, the fuel you choose should be those that are nutrient-dense: fruits, vegetables, lgumes, whole grains and lean meats.

Added sugars and refined flour provide "empty calories," he explains. Cane sugar, beet sugar, corn syrup, honey and maple syrup are digested quickly, causing a glucose spike, and then exit with a glucose drop that leaves consumers feeling tired and hungry. Also, simple carbohydrates, such as cakes, cookies and candies also contain virtually no nutrients.

When Dr. Gott says "no sugar," he means any food whose name contains the words "sugar" or "syrup," and he also means no molasses, honey, evaporated cane juice, glucose or sucrose.

When nutritious whole grains are changed into all-purpose flour, they are steamed, pounded and scraped of their outer fiber-full bran layer, their mineral-dense germ and their vitamin-rich oil. Then they are pulverized by high-speed steel rollers into a fine powder and bleached. All-purpose flour is used to make almost all breads, cookies, crackers, cereals and pastas.

To make his diet as simple as possible, Dr. Gott eliminates any product whose ingredient list contains the word "flour," even if it is whole wheat flour.

But what SHOULD you eat? Dr. Gott says to picture a meal as a piece of meat or tofu about the size of a deck of cards; a serving of root vegetables, legumes, peas or corn; about two fists of other vegetables (or one vegetable and one fruit). Fats should come from olive or canola oil, or avocados, nuts, seeds or low-fat dairy products.

The following recipes have "Gott" the right idea:

Basic Crepes

Make sure the batter coats the bottom of the pan evenly and that your heat isn't too high. These light wraps can be used to bundle up anything from ham and cheese to peaches and yogurt to sauteed mushrooms. Try different fillings for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert.

2 large eggs

3/4 cup low-fat milk

6 tablespoons arrowroot powder*

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Vegetable oil spray

In a large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer until pale yellow and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in milk, arrowroot, oil, baking powder, and salt.

Spray a nonstick 9- or 10-inch skillet with vegetable oil spray and heat over medium-low heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of the mixture to the hot pan and tilt pan so the mixture is evenly spread over the bottom. Cook until bottom is lightly browned, about 2 minutes, then carefully lift crepe and turn over. Cook until second side is lightly browned, about 2 minutes more. Remove from pan and place between layers of wax paper. Continue until all the batter has been used.

Makes 6 crepes.

*Arrowroot powder is a ground starch that can be found in health food stores and many supermarkets.

Baked Tortilla Chips

Be sure the tortillas are made from corn and not corn flour, and use this recipe to add crunch to taco salad or to scoop up salsa or bean dip.

8 corn tortillas, each cut into 8 wedges

Olive oil spray

Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Spread tortilla wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet, and spray lightly with olive oil spray. Bake in preheated oven, turning over halfway through cooking, until lightly browned and crisp, about 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste and serve.

Serves 4.

Shepherd's Pie

A diet-friendly twist on a hearty classic, this recipe substitutes pureed cauliflower for half of the potato in the masked topping to lightens up the dish while still giving you the satisfaction of creamy mashed potatoes.

Topping:

1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and roughly chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1/4 cup low-fat sour cream

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

Paprika for garnish

Meat filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 1/4 lb. extra lean ground beef

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add diced potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.

While potatoes are cooking, place chopped cauliflower in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high, 10 to 12 minutes, until cauliflower is tender. Transfer cauliflower to a food processor and process to a smooth puree.

Place cooked potatoes in a large bowl and mash until smooth. Mix in butter, sour cream, salt, and pureed cauliflower. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add onion and carrot and saute until onion is translucent. Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring until mushrooms are soft and liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes more. Remove mushroom mixture from pan and set aside.

Without washing pan, add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add ground beef and cook, stirring and breaking up meat, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, thyme, peas, and tomato paste. Mix meat mixture into onion, carrot, and mushroom mixture.

Spray a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish with olive oil spray or nonstick cooking spray. Fill dish with meat mixture and spread into an even layer. Top with mashed potato-cauliflower topping and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle paprika over the top, and bake in preheated oven about 45 to 50 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Serve hot.

Serves 6 to 8.

Tools

1. Set realistic goals: Ask your doctor before starting any diet or setting a weight goal. Don't try to lose more than a pound a week.

2. Keep a food journal.

3. Read food labels. Although his diet requires no counting, Dr. Gott thinks it is a good idea to be aware of food contents, especially at first. Compare calorie counts of different brands. Your daily diet should contain no more than 60 grams of fat, no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day (200 for those with coronary heart disease); 2,400 milligrams of sodium; and at least 20 grams of fiber per day.

4. Control your portions: A serving is one slice of bread; 1/2 cup rice, mashed potatoes, vegetables or berries; 1 cup lettuce, milk or yogurt; 1 small potato; 1 medium apple; 1-1/2 ounces cheese; 1/4 pound hamburger. Use smaller plates, take half of a large portion home, read labels for serving sizes, put a serving in a bowl instead of eating out of the bag, avoid all-you-can-eat buffets.

5. Get support from those with whom you share most of your meals, a friend or an organization, such as TOPS, Overeaters Anonymous, internet supports.

6. Exercise 30 minutes a day by doing something you enjoy. Walking is a good way to start. If you're social, take classes or even dance lessons. Daredevils might try rock climbing or mountain biking. Those who like popular music could try a hip-hop dance class. A nature lover may want to hike or backpack. Yoga is good for the stressed-out. If you enjoy team play, join a local softball, soccer or hockey league. If you need help staying motivated, find an exercise buddy or two.

7. Plan for success: Clean out your pantry of flour, sugar and any food that contains one of those two. Give non-perishables away. Snack on nuts (about 10), fruit, cut vegetables. Make a grocery list for several days of meals and stick to it, stocking:

Artificial sweeteners or stevia

Skim milk

Sugar-free yogurt

Lowfat cheese

Eggs

Whole grain cereals and oatmeal without flour or sugar

Rice

Lean lunch meats

Skinless poultry

Fish or shellfish

Pork tenderloin

Extra-lean ground beef or turkey

Beans or tofu

Fruits and vegetables

Broth-based soups without noodles

Hummus

Salsa

No-sugar peanut butter

Toasted nuts

Dill pickles

Pickle relish or mustard, without sugar

Salad dressings without sugar

Lowfat sour cream or mayonnaise

Soy sauce

Hot pepper sauce

Fruit-juice-sweetened jams

Balsamic vinegar

Sugar-free candy, ice cream, frozen yogurt, pudding or jello

Olive, canola, sunflower or safflower oil

Butter, sparingly

8: Specific medical conditions with extra requirements:

Coronary heart disease: Consult with your doctor on diet. Reduce sodium intake.

High cholesterol: Watch fat and cholesterol. Avoid high-fat fast foods. Buy lean beef, trim off extra fat and broil; buy low-fat hamburger; avoid bacon, sausage, hot dogs, pepperoni or other lunch meats. Don't eat restaurant-fried foods; fry in olive oil at home or use a nonstick pan. Use skim or soy milk. Change from butter to corn oil margarine. Moderate your eating of cheese, and opt for low-fat in cheese, cream cheese, frozen yogurt. Eat no more than two eggs a week; avoid mayonnaise or egg sauces and salads.

Hypertension: Avoid adding salt and salty products, such as salted nuts, dill pickles, olives and frozen dinners. If you are tense and under stress, seek counseling. If diet and exercise don't work, your doctor may need to investigate further.

9. Avoid negative "remedies:" appetite suppressants, laxatives, diuretics, "natural" weight loss aids, apple cider vinegar, chitosan, chromium supplements, diet teas, fiber supplements, glucomannan, guar gum, grapefruit, green tea extract, growth-hormone releasers, kelp, lecithin, lipotropic "fat-burners," meal-replacement liquids, spirulina, starch blockers, St. John's Wort and Vitamin B-6. Don't go on extreme diets, low-carb/high protein diets, extremely low-calorie diets. Don't focus on "superfoods." Eat a varied diet.

10. Stay on track: Check out a restaurant's menu online or call before going; decide what you'll order. Ask waiters about ingredients. Make substitutions, leave off croutons, bread, breaded or battered foods, pasta, crusts, chips, pizza, sweet sauces, noodles, chili or peanut sauces, rice noodle dishes, rolls, dessert. If your family isn't dieting with you, ask them to eat junk food outside the home. Be especially strict before holidays, vacations, birthdays and weddings, perhaps cutting out potatoes, rice and alcohol as well as flour and sugar. Then you can loosen up on those big days.

11. Maintain weight loss. Weigh weekly at the same time of day. Once you reach your goal, you might reintroduce flour slowly as long as your weight stays down.

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