Weight-loss tips by the stack

Some other recent notables from the river of weight-loss tomes:

* “The Black Book of Hollywood Diet Secrets,” by Kym Douglas and Cindy Pearlman, Plume, 2007: Fill up on celebrity-name dropping, but feel virtuous while doing it.

* “The Reverse Diet: Lose 20, 50, 100 Pounds or More by Eating Dinner for Breakfast and Breakfast for Dinner,” by Tricia Cunningham and Heidi Skolnik, John Wiley and Sons, 2007: The book’s premise -- eat when the body needs fuel (at the beginning of the day, not the end) -- has some merit. But eggplant lasagna or fried chicken for breakfast?

* “How to Eat Like a Hot Chick: Eat What You Love, Love How You Feel,” by Jodi Lipper and Cerina Vincent, Collins, 2007: The back cover touts “saucy wit and goodwill to spare”; the pages encourage smart choices, not over-thought-out neuroticism.

* “The Superfoods Rx Diet,” by Wendy Bazilian, Steven Pratt and Kathy Matthews, Rodale, 2008: In a follow-up to the bestselling “SuperFoods Rx,” the cheerleading for foods that can ostensibly change your life continues; very specific advice and directions.

* “The Thrive Diet: The Whole Food Way to Lose Weight, Reduce Stress, and Stay Healthy for Life,” by Brendan Brazier, Da Capo Press, 2008: A meat-free, dairy-free diet from a triathlete author who apparently isn’t suffering from energy deprivation. The 12-week diet plans include wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free and corn-free options. But you can eat whatever portion size you want.

* “The Ultimate TEA Diet: How Tea Can Boost Your Metabolism, Shrink Your Appetite, and Kick-Start Remarkable Weight Loss,” By Mark Ukra and Sharyn Kolberg, Collins, 2007: The promise is in the title; includes “TEAmmate profiles” and “TEAsers” (get it?). For potential dieters who really, really like a steaming cup of Camellia sinensis.

* “The No Crave Diet: Lose Weight by Conquering Your Cravings,” by Dr. Penny Kendall-Reed and Dr. Stephen Reed, Virgin, 2008: Promises to eliminate those pesky food cravings in two weeks. After that, perhaps, ice cream loses its appeal.

* “Never Say Diet: Make Five Decisions and Break the Fat Habit for Good,” by Chantel Hobbs, WaterBrook Press, 2007: That’s right. Just don’t use the D-word. It’s a mind thing.

-- Tami Dennis