Who doesn't want to look thinner in an instant? We're all constantly searching for the miracle solution to a flat stomach, yet hours of cardio, crunches, and painfully strict dieting aren't always a realistic option. Experts say that the stomach is the one part of the body that often reacts quickly to dietary changes - both bad and good. In other words, something as simple as a bad snack choice could leave you battling a terrible bloat.

If you're sick of being told to simply "work harder at the gym", and want to look for fast ways to flatten your belly that allow you to avoid painful workouts, we might have the solution. The following tips are designed to help you feel and look slimmer, trimmer, and happier almost overnight. 

1.    Get Thin with Fashion

"Do I look fat in this?"

It may seem like a cliché, but when it comes to fast ways to flatten your belly, you'd be surprised at the multitude of sins that the right outfit can really hide. Everything from the right distribution of color, to the shape and cut of a particular dress could be enough to earn you compliments for looking thinner than ever - all without a single trip to the gym.

• Choose fabrics carefully: Avoid anything that stretches over your stomach and highlights every extra pound. In other words, get rid of lightweight knits, lycra, and anything else that seems elastic, and choose woven fabrics instead that skim the body - rather than cling to every curve.
• Use abdominal compression to cinch your waist: An abdominal compression belt can not only help you lose weight in the long-term, but ensure you look thinner in the short-term too by creating a slim separation between the bust and the hips. Wear abdominal compression underneath your clothing for an apparently instant weight loss.
• Experiment with patterns: Smaller patterns on clothing are typically more effective at hiding problem areas throughout your body. For instance, try wearing a soft floral top with a pair of solid dark bottoms to slim down your lower half.

2.    Stand Up Straight

The chances are that simply reading that headline was enough to make you hear your mother's voice - but it turns out that she was right about more than you thought. Standing up taller can actually help you to look as much as five pounds slimmer, by re-adjusting the way weight is stored around your stomach. Of course, the only problem is figuring out the best way to keep yourself standing tall for as long as possible. If you want to make the most of fast ways to flatten your belly, avoid painful workouts by switching to Pilates instead. This stress-free activity will enhance your posture and improve your back and ab muscles. You can even do these two moves from the comfort of your bed:

• Belly-Ins: Suck your belly in towards your spine by slowly flattening your lower back towards the bed using your core, pressing down on the exhale, and releasing on the inhale.
• Roll and Reach: Sit up with your legs pressed together, knees bent, and feet flat against the mattress. Reach over your knees with your palms down and roll halfway, before twisting to the right. Twist back to the center, and roll back into the seating position.

3.    Get More Sleep

Beauty sleep is a real thing!

The more rest you get during the night, the less likely you'll be to binge out on food and overeat the next day. Exercising regularly and eating properly will always help you to avoid belly fat, but only if you're getting the sleep you need to encourage each part of your body to work properly.

Skimping on sleep causes levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), to rise in your blood stream - increasing your chances of storing deep abdominal fat. Many studies have found that there's a definite connection between increased stress hormones from lack of sleep, and weight gain, which means that catching those extra winks is essential in our list of fast ways to flatten your belly.

4.    Swap Soda for Water

We know as well as anyone how much a delicious carbonated beverage can work to hit the spot when you're hot, flustered, and thirsty. But if you're looking for fast ways to flatten your belly and avoid painful workouts, then you need to banish the bubbles from your diet. The gas in carbonated drinks makes your belly inflate immediately, so stick to tap water if you want to stay hydrated and gorgeous at the same time.

You can always flavor it with fruit infusions if you find the regular taste of water to be somewhat bland. Fruits like lemon can even help to enhance the fat burning process, and the introduction of new fruit infusion bottle has made creating healthy and convenient drinks on the go easier than ever.

5.    Eat more Protein and Whole Grains

Finally, switching refined carbs for whole grains is not only a great way to get healthy, but it's a fantastic option when it comes to fast ways to flatten your belly. According to research from a Pennsylvania State University study, dieters who ate whole grains shed twice as much abdominal fat as those who didn't eat any. Part of the reason for this is that wholegrains reduce the production of insulin - a hormone that encourages the storage of fat.

Add another belly-fat banishing ingredient to your meals at the same time by improving your intake of protein-rich foods. In studies throughout the world, protein has been proven to share a link with quick weight loss. For example, in a Danish study of 60 women and men, those who followed a diet that included 25% of their calories taken from protein lost almost twice as much fat during 6 months of dieting, than those who ate a diet with only 12% of the calories obtained from protein.