15 Ways to Lose Weight Without Trying

Choose alcohol or dessert, not both

If you start dinner with a glass or two of wine and end it with dessert, you’ve bookended your meal with an extra 500 to 1,000 calories, Saltz says. To lose weight, you have got to cut calories. So unless you plan to order a plain salad with balsamic for your entree, she suggests cutting elsewhere to avoid a 2,000-calorie meal. “If alcohol is your choice—I usually pick wine over dessert—order a decaf coffee to finish your meal,” she says. “If you want to splurge on dessert, then keep your liquid calories zero during the meal.”