If you’ve ever tried to lose a few pounds you know that it takes time and effort, but there are ways to look slimmer instantly. Here are nine cheap and easy ways to look like you’ve lost ten pounds or more.
Stand up for yourself.Having substandard posture can add pounds to your silhouette; not only does slumping make you look shorter, it draws the eye toward any excess flab around your midsection. Stand straight with shoulders back, chest pushed forward, and your head high. You’ll not only look taller and slimmer, you’ll look and feel more confident.
Tan your skin (safely!). Makeup artists say that a spray tan, done in a salon, will give you an instantly sleeker, slimmer look. What’s more, adding color to your skin will help to minimize the appearance of pesky cellulite. After you have a good base tan, use some extra self-tanning lotion or bronzer where you need it most.
Use slimming undergarments. You don’t have to use the same girdles that your grandmother used; there are body shapers that can comfortably flatten your belly, slim your thighs and make your hips look narrower. The new shape wear has clean lines, which means they aren’t visible under most clothing.
Stay away from loose clothing.Most people think that loose, baggy clothes hide that excess poundage, but they can actually make you look heavier than you really are. To slenderize yourself and flatter your figure, wear clothing that is tailored to your size and shape.
Add vertical lines to some of your wardrobe components. Any clothing item with vertical lines will draw the viewer’s eye vertically rather than horizontally, making you look taller and leaner. Vertically-striped pants and shirts are great, but there are other ways to wear them, such as an open jacket, a sweater, or a vertical crease in your clothing.
Try monochrome.Wearing the same color family from shirt to shoes can give you the appearance of a longer, leaner body because the line is unbroken from head to toe. It can camouflage those lumps and bumps, and dressing in one color is a hot trend almost every spring and summer. Dark colors give the greatest appearance of weight loss, especially black- but if you think black is just for funerals, accentuate your darker colors with brightly-colored accessories such as belts and scarves.
Wear a pair of heels. From kitten heels to sky-high stilettos, heels can elongate the legs and make you appear taller (and slimmer) overall.
Try a v-neck.Wearing a plunging “V” neckline creates a slimming effect by drawing the viewer’s eye both in and down. It’s up to you how low you get; even a modest “V” will give you the illusion of a narrower waist.
Take some fitness classes, or get some form of exercise. We wish it was as easy as changing your wardrobe, but if you really want to be slimmer, you’re going to have to earn it. Fitness disciplines such as Pilates, yoga and some martial arts naturally slim the body and give better posture, which you already know makes you look taller.
You should be confident in your own skin, but you don’t have to walk around looking fat and frumpy anymore! Use any or all of the above tips to make yourself look leaner, taller and fitter.
This article was written by Amy Fowler on behalf of slimming.com, experts in weight loss. For more information on slimming.com or how they can help you with weight loss, take a look at their site.