Do you want to look thinner without going to the gym? Of course you do! There are some simple things you can do to achieve this without a dangerous crash diet or drastic plastic surgery.

Stand up straight

• If you improve your posture, not only do you reduce the visibility of the rolls in your stomach but you also gain confidence, put that with a winning smile and you're good to go.

Wear properly fitting underwear

• The look you're going for is seamless - no ill-fitting bras that leave back fat spilling over in bulging rolls, and try wearing a slip to stop your clothes from gathering where they touch.

Choose colours carefully

• Avoid bright colours and patterns; they instantly make you look bigger than you are!
• Dark colours make your heavy sections look small. Are you top heavy? That means switching to dark coloured tops. If you are bottom heavy, go for darker trousers, skirts, or jeans to slim down your bottom and legs.
• Avoid horizontal stripes; these accentuate your girth!

Wear clothes that are the right size

• If you're a size 20, don't try and squeeze into a size 16. It will make you look bigger if everything bulges out.
• Similarly, don't wear clothes that swamp you. Look at your body and wear clothes that fit properly.
• You don't NEED to be thin to look great, what matters is how well clothes fit you and how comfortable you are in them.

Emphasize the smaller part of you and camouflage your larger areas

• If your waist is relatively thinner than your hips, wear form-fitting shirts and skirts that flare out.
• If your middle is thick and your legs are normal sized, wear looser, tunic blouses with thin, straight-legged pants.

Wear your hair and makeup in a flattering way

• People will be too distracted by your beautiful face to care about everything else.

Avoid the "I'm so fat" conversations

• Most people don't care as much as you think they do because they are caught up in themselves so why draw their attention to your bad bits? Flaunt your body the way it is.

Match your jewelry to your size

• If you're a big, tall person, wear big pieces of jewelry. Think a nice chunky bracelet or a pair of chandelier earrings. A big necklace will look great too - but avoid chokers.