Some excess weight isn't really fat, but what some clinicians such as Elson Haas, M.D., refer to as "false fat." That's the excess bloat and water retention that comes from hypersensitivity to many common foods -- it's weight we don't need to have, and we feel and look a lot better without it. It also comes off fastest -- the loss of "false fat" is one of the reasons people sometimes lose weight quickly at the beginning of a new diet.

Here are some suggestions for losing it. Remember to take these in the spirit in which they are intended: Not hard and fast rules for everyone, but strategies that are worth trying when you are stuck.

1. Cut out wheat. Whenever I recommend that people try this as a strategy, I invariably get two kinds of responses. One is from irate dietitians who chastise me for going against the "wisdom" of the food pyramid and warn me of the "dire consequences" for human health if people actually followed such a crazy recommendation and stop eating bread, pasta and cereal for a while. The other response comes from people who say this recommendation changed their lives. Wheat is one of the seven top allergens, and untold numbers of people have undetected sensitivities to it. Dr. C. Leigh Broadhurst, one of the brightest researchers I've ever met and the author of the wonderful book Diabetes: Prevention and Cure, once told me that if she had to pick one strategy to recommend to people for weight loss and health it would probably be cutting out wheat. Dr. Jeffrey Bland, also no intellectual slouch, has commented on the possible long-range implications of gluten or glidian sensitivity (both are components of wheat). Eliminating wheat (at least temporarily) is on the top 10 list of so many cutting-edge health professionals that it is foolish not to give it a try.

2. Eliminate dairy. Especially cow's milk. Interestingly, this is something that the "high protein" folks and the radical vegans such as Dr. Neal Barnard agree on, though for somewhat different reasons. I'm not talking, incidentally, about the wonderful, nutrient-rich, unprocessed certified raw milk that people such as Sally Fallon rave about, but unfortunately raw milk is just not widely available. I'm talking about that stuff on your grocer's shelf. No, you won't get osteoporosis (which has to do with a lot more than calcium), and yes, you can get your calcium from other sources. I wouldn't necessarily extend this recommendation to naturally fermented products such as yogurt and some raw-milk cheeses, by the way, though some people might want to try eliminating all dairy at first. If you're still skeptical, visit notmilk.com and then talk to me some more. And remember that the number one source of nutritional information in this country comes from the dairy industry.

3. Eliminate sugar. This one is really hard for most people but is the one that may pay off the most. And while you're at it, see what you can do about aspartame.