If your New Year's resolution is to lose the extra pounds that came uninvited for Thanksgiving and stayed right through Christmas, you might be seeking a little guidance on the best way to send those pesky pounds packing.

There's no shortage of doctor-sanctioned diet books dueling for your dollars; some have valuable advice while others are nearly worthless, if not downright damaging.

Steer clear of the stale approach advocated in yesterday's New York Post, whose cover trumpeted “the Social-Lite Diet.” Apparently, you can lose “one dress size in one week” if you follow the rules laid out in Park Avenue diet doctor Jane Klauer's book “How the Rich Get Thin. [1]”

Under a giant banner proclaiming “A diet that's rich,” the Post instructs its readers to purge their pantries of, among other things, dried pasta, dried fruits and dried herbs:

“Make it a rule to use only the freshest herbs: thyme, dill weed, peppermint, basil, onion, bay leaves, saffron, paprika…”

The list goes on, but they lost me at saffron. Fresh saffron? Fresh paprika? Also, when did onions become an herb? Does the author of this article ever actually cook?

The Post also recommends that you empty your freezer. “Don't save any frozen dinner for an emergency.” Alas, no advice about how to deal with such emergencies; I guess you just have to hope that there's an available table at Bouley or Per Se.

An empty freezer is terrible feng shui, symbolizing deprivation and a lack of resources. An empty stomach is even worse. What's wrong with having an Amy's [2] roasted vegetable pizza on hand? It doesn't even have any cheese, for crying out loud (I like Amy's Mexican tamale pie, too. Actually, a lot of Amy's entrees are pretty good in a pinch.)

The article does contain some nuggets of useful information, such as “replace bad foods with good ones.” Well, that's a big fat help.

You'll have better luck getting your New Year's diet off to a sane and healthy start with “The Sonoma Diet [3]” by another diet doctor, Connie Guttersen. The Sonoma diet incorporates elements of the Mediterranean diet into a way of eating that emphasizes whole foods cooked simply. There are good fats, the kind you find in almonds or olive oil, for instance, and, yes, carbs. Potatoes, pasta and bread are permitted, as part of a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, grains and vegetables, with smaller quantities of fish, poultry and meat.

Guttersen's book offers tips to help you eat well and lose weight for a lifetime of better health. Isn't that a more worthwhile goal than starving yourself for a week so you can drop a dress size?

Of course the rich are different from you and me; we eat way better than they do. I might covet their checking accounts, but you couldn't pay me to raid their pantries. Although I'd sure love to try some of that fresh saffron those Park Avenue trophy wives reportedly prize.