FITNESS MAGAZINE

Stealth dieting tips, for women who've had it up to here with feeling deprived:

1. EAT UNTIL YOU'RE HARA HACHI BU

This Japanese term means "eat until you're 80 percent full." It's a calorie-saving strategy used by the Okinawans, who have one of the lowest rates of heart disease, cancer and stroke — and one of the highest life expectancies — of any population in the world. Stop eating when you feel only slightly full; within 15 minutes, you should be satisfied.

2. FILL UP ON FIBER MIDDAY

Munch on cereal for a hearty snack. Choose a healthy type, such as bran flakes. Add one-third cup of antioxidant-rich blueberries and you'll rack up just 148 calories (without milk).

3. EAT SLOWLY

Research shows that college women who wolfed down their pasta in nine minutes consumed 67 more calories than when they savored their meal for about three times as long. Eating mindfully gives you a chance to realize you're full. Do this at every meal and you could cut 200 calories a day — or 21 pounds a year!

4. ASK FOR WHAT'S NOT ON THE MENU

Some restaurants offer small side orders, despite the fact that they're not actually listed on the main menu. Same goes for Starbucks, which will give you a "short" coffee if you ask. Choosing from the child's menu, bringing half your entree home or eating two appetizers for your main course are other good ways to control calories.

5. PUMP UP THE VOLUME

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, which contain lots of water, and you'll consume 24 percent fewer calories a day, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. One easy trick: Throw a cup of vegetables into your pasta and cut back on the noodles; you'll get more nutrients and fewer calories.

6. DO MORE BAKING

Dry-heat cooking methods, such as broiling, baking and roasting meat, cut the fat. For instance, broiling salmon can slash 120 calories from the pan-fried version. And remove the skin from chicken after it's cooked. You'll retain moisture yet chop 40 calories and 6 grams of fat.