A new year is here, and many people have made the same commitment they've made a thousand times before -- to lose weight, and this time, stick to a diet that'll help keep off those unwanted pounds. Period.

Just in time to help those individuals stay on track and reach their weight-loss goals, Dr. Peter H. Gott, author of the nationally syndicated newspaper column "Ask Dr. Gott," has written the companion to his New York Times best-selling "No Flour, No Sugar" diet book -- this year's "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook" (Wellness Central Hardcover, ISBN 0-446-58250-6, $23.99).

Gott, who recently retired from a general practice in rural Connecticut, said he developed the diet in response to the thousands of letters he has received in his more than 40 years as a columnist about how to sensibly lose weight. Gott's column is featured in The Times and Democrat.

Gott's diet works by eliminating the empty calories that come from flour and sugar, thus lowering a person's overall caloric intake.

A pound of fat is roughly 3,500 calories, so in order to lose one pound a week, Gott said a person has to reduce their calorie consumption by 500 calories each day. Instead of cakes and pies, he suggests snacking on raw fruits and vegetables, as the key to weight loss is burning more calories than are consumed.

Like a car needs gas, the body needs fuel, and Gott said the amount needed can be determined by multiplying an individual's weight in pounds by 13 (or 15 if physically active). For optimal health, that fuel should be packed with nutrients, such as those found in lean meats, potatoes, rice, low-fat dairy products, vegetables and fruits. And yes, there's even some room for flourless, sugarless bread and cookies.

When 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. To make his diet as simple as possible, he eliminates any product whose ingredient list contains the word "flour," even if it's whole wheat flour.

Packed with more than 175 recipes, "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook" will keep taste buds tantalized while helping readers shed weight. Adherents to the diet claim significant weight loss and improved overall health while enjoying tasty foods -- without the added expense of specialty diet items such as drinks and powders.

Eating the right stuff isn't as painful as it may sound. Here are a few recipes to get you started on the right foot this year:

Country Breakfast Casserole

1/2 small green pepper, chopped

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

24 ounces frozen hash browns, thawed

9 eggs

Cooking spray, for coating

6 strips bacon, fried and crumbled

1/4 cup nonfat milk

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Saute pepper and onion in butter. Add hash browns and one beaten egg. Pat into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake 20 minutes. While hash browns are baking, blend remaining eggs, bacon and milk in bowl. Scramble mixture and fold in cheese. Spread mixture over top of baked hash browns once they come from oven. Season with salt and pepper. Return dish to oven and heat another 10 minutes. Serve.

Variation: Top with picante sauce. This recipe serves six to eight.

Cuban Black Bean Soup

Cooking spray, for coating

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, finely diced

1 red or green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

4 cups 99 percent fat-free chicken broth

Two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup sherry

1/4 pound chorizo, crumbled (3/4 pound for main course)

Coat large stockpot with cooking spray. Saute onion, carrot, bell pepper and garlic over medium heat until soft but not browned. Season with salt, pepper and cumin. Add 2 cups broth and one can beans. Simmer 20 minutes, or until vegetables are very tender. Add sherry and puree by batches in blender or use stick blender in pot. In skillet, cook chorizo until browned. Drain well. Add to pot along with remaining broth and beans. Heat through before serving.

This recipe serves six to eight as a first course, or four as a main course.

Saffron Chicken

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon saffron

1 cup uncooked rice

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup pimentos, chopped

12-ounce package frozen peas

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1 cup 99 percent fat-free chicken broth

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Season chicken with salt and paprika. Place in large skillet over medium heat and slowly brown in oil and butter 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Stir in saffron and rice. Place bay leaves in bottom of 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add the rice, chicken, pimentoes, peas, olives and broth. Cover and bake one hour, or until tender. Add water if necessary during cooking. Serve.

This recipe serves six to eight.

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

3 ripe bananas

2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease cookie sheet.

Mash bananas in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients. With tablespoon, drop batter onto greased cookie sheet, flattening each dollop slightly. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until centers are firm. Cookies taste best well-done and crispy.

This recipe makes 36 cookies.

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