Waist Training

As I mentioned in a post late last week I will be trying out the newest trend, waist training. I have several friends who have been trying this and rave about the results. I did a lot of research and then was on a mission to find my first waist cincher. I didn't want to invest a lot of money because I have never been a fan of tight fitting clothing or anything that constricts my stomach area. I have never been able to wear high waisted jeans that are tight. Then after having my second daughter I invested in spanx to help control my stomach while I was getting back into shape after child birth, spanx were very hard for me to wear. One thing I really didn't like was the rolling down of the garment but I did find a spanx garment that attached to my bra and wouldn't roll down. Even after that I was very uncomfortable in a tight undergarment even with the benefit of fitting in pants two sizes smaller. 

I ended up finding a seller who sent me my first cincher for free to try out. The name of the company that sells them is Global Market. They sell tons of different varieties and styles of cinchers. I went with this company because not only did they offer me the garment for free but also guaranteed the comfort and that they would send me multiple garments to try in different stages of my review. 

My first and only requirements were color and comfort. I wanted to be able to wear this garment under my clothes since I have read the longer you wear it the better the results. Also I don't want to be uncomfortable at first, gradually I need to ease into this if I am going ton stick with it. The seller selected one of their beginner garments and lower price point garments to begin with. It is available in black and nude. It has four steel bones that are the support of the garment and then has two more around the enclosure area. The enclosure is the same as a bra, it has the metal clasps and there are four rows to adjust. 

I had to have my mom measure my waist for me because this seller is from Hong Kong and Asian sizes are different then US sizes. Also it is very important you get the correct measurement or you can end up with a garment that is either to tight or to loose. I measured the thinnest and most narrow area of my waist which is just above my belly button. When standing straight it is around the area your elbows fall when standing with arms hanging at your side. I then sent my waist size to the seller and he suggested to start with a size large. He told me to start at the most comfortable size when I received it and not to go to the tighest clasp at first. He told me a lot of women receive their cincher and want to see results right away so they tend to wear it at the tightest setting and that all that would end up doing is making me uncomfortable along with stretching the garment out faster. 

I received my cincher this morning early and was already dressed for work but wanted to get the maximum use out of it today so went ahead and put it on. I was happy with the nude color I picked it matches my nude bra which I wear often because it is less visible under my clothes and the cincher was not visible under my outfit also. I wore a long maxi style skirt and white tee to work today, I asked several people if they noticed anything under my tee and thankfully it was not visible. My cincher does not have the laces like some have only the four steel bones and then two on the front on each side of the metal clasps. My corset didn't have a tag on the inside so wasn't sure which was the top or bottom but assumed the curves were the top because they fit under my breasts perfectly. My cincher is not the short or long style it actually is a perfect length, it sits right below my breasts and goes down where I can wear my underwear right over the bottom of it. 

Right away my posture felt better and some of the pressure I always have in my lower back was relieved. I was amazed how quickly I felt confident wearing it. I didn't notice a big difference in how my skirt fit or my waist looked but I wore the cincher on the second set of clasps. Mid day I adjusted in the bathroom after lunch to the third row and wore it this way the rest of the day. After work I came home and changed into a pair of shorts, then went for a quick walk around my block before heading to get my youngest from school. At no point was I uncomfortable while sitting or standing at work. 

After I got my youngest from school we went to the library and I started to feel it more. I forgot I had actually tightened it mid day but I was noticing that bending and sitting was starting to feel more uncomfortable then earlier in the day. I wore this garment for a total of nine hours and when it was time to remove it I felt amazing after releasing the last of the clasps. I was amazed the only marks left from the cincher were on the front where the clasps sit. I had two lines from the front bones and the clasp enclosure area. 

Other than that no lines or creases. 

Overall my first day was a success. I did not finish my salad at lunch because I felt full quickly and made sure to drink plenty of water, something I do daily either way do to my illness and struggles with Sjorgen's and MS. My back felt amazing all day and didn't bother me from standing like it normally would.  I felt my posture was better than ever and was amazed when I removed the garment how good I felt. I am excited to continue to use this and see the results. The seller contacted me today by email asking how I felt about the garment then how my first wear went or to let him know when I planned to start wearing it. I emailed him and let him know I wore it all day along with telling him that I wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought I would be and that it made my back feel a lot better. He told me he would be sending me the next style with eight bones, same nude tone and a size medium which I will switch over to in a few weeks. He told me is should start to see a reduction in my waist if I continue to wear it daily for 6/8 hours in a week to two weeks, by then I will have my new garment and he recommends that I get to the fourth clasp comfortably for a few days before changing over to the next one. He said the new one he is sending is not only made with more bones but has a stomach band for extra firming of the stomach area below the belly button and it is made of a stronger material. 

Can't wait to document my experience with this garment over the next few weeks to a month maybe even longer. With bikini season almost here this is the best time to get my waist in shape and been needing to shed a few pounds I gained on vacation a few weeks ago lol! Keep in mind I am watching what I eat, drinking lots of fluids and getting at least 20-40 minutes of cardio a day. I weighed myself and measured myself before starting this, along with taking before photos and photos of it on the first day. For now only going to share a few shots of the garment. If you are interested in ordering I can send you a direct link to the sellers site. My garment retails for $10.95 plus shipping. Again it isn't the top of the line but for a beginner I think it is made well and fits amazing. I highly recommend for a beginner that isn't sure if this is something you can do for the long run and don't want to invest $40-60 on something you may end up throwing in the lingerie drawer after a few days. 

I feel pretty good about this and think I will make it through the trial period. Looking forward to tomorrow and the next week to see if there are any results I notice other then my lower back feeling better, which for me that is a perk for sure. Please be sure to google and do some research on the good/bad of waist training. There are some bad things about it, some garments that are too tight can cause problems breathing due to the bottom portion of the lung being restricted, as well as organs being pushed into the abdomen and causing gastro issues. Just be sure to read up and be cautious. Don't try to wear something to small or tight, try to be patient just like dieting and exercise it takes time. 

Here are my photos of my garment and will have an update in a few days with more photos. Hope everyone had an amazing Monday. XOXO ✌️❤️

Garment laid out flat after a full day of wearing it. 

My garment after I opened it before wearing for 8-9 hours today. 

This is a photo from the sellers website of my garment. The above photo is the same garment from his website in black. 

Happy waist training and can't wait to see if this new trend really is all that it's been cracked up to be.