Tag Archives: Waist training Tips

Whether you’ve purchased a waist trainer before or if this is the first time you are considering it, there are a few things that one should always pay attention to before deciding whether or not to make the investment.

Here are my top 5 traits to look for in a good waist trainer:

1. Steel boning

There’s just no two ways about it: a waist training corset must be 100% steel boned. There is not one corset out there made from plastic/acrylic boning that will be able to offer you what a proper waist trainer will. Fashion corsets can be lovely, but they are meant to be worn more for the look of a corset and not for any sort of waist reduction.

Also, a good waist trainer should be made up of both flat and spiral steel bones. Flat steel bones are great and required to form a solidly built corset, but they are usually reserved to the front bust and the back panels. The body of the corset is best made up of spiral steel bones. A spiral steel bone has far more flexibility but all of the durability of a flat bone and as a result, the spiral steel bones will allow the corset to mold more smoothly to the curve of your hips, waist and bust.

Lastly, any good waist trainer that is worth the investment will also indicate in the description how many steel bones it features. Anything less than 20 steel bones? Not a waist trainer. It might still be a fantastic steel boned corset, but it won’t deliver 6” to 7” of waist reduction the way a waist trainer can.

2. A steel busk front closure

There are waist trainers available out there with zipper closures…not the best idea. Yes, they can be cinched in the full 6” to 7” that most waist trainers promise, however a zipper is not built to endure that sort of tension. So whereas you may be absolutely in love with your new zip front corset, it won’t be able to withstand the tension the same way a busk front closure will and as a result, the zip front corset may not have the same lifespan as a steel busk front closure.

And truth be told, under no circumstances will a hook and eye tape ever do the trick when it comes to waist training. Hook and eye closures are nothing like a steel busk front closure. You know those little hooks that fasten your bra? Yeah, those are hook and eye closures…’nough said.

3. Sturdy fabric

Anything that looks very thin or lumpy is a bad idea. Focus more on a strong taffeta or satin fabric. Even a pretty cotton twill or denim is a good choice.

Sturdy fabric also comes down to the fabric content. Cotton, polyester and silk or a blend of any of these is a good choice. Rayon and acetate?  Not so much.

Also, any good waist trainer will have the fabric fused to the lining (more on linings in point #4). By fusing the outer fabric with the lining, it not only avoids unnecessary bunching but also adds strength to the corset.

4. Lining

If you come across a “waist trainer” that has no lining to it, then simply keep looking. No good waist trainer is without a lining. Now, it needn’t be 100% cotton. A cotton poly blend is also okay, but there should definitely be a lining and it should totally have some natural fibre to it (e.g. 60% cotton, 40% polyester).

Not only does a fused lining add strength  to the corset, but it increases the wearer’s comfort and allows for the wearer’s skin to breathe comfortably.

5. Honest photographs

Firstly, look for a photo on a model. If the photograph is just of the corset itself with the model and background whited out, then how can you get any idea of what the corset will look on your person?

And, when it comes to photographs on a model you can generally spot a fake stock photo with a couple simple tricks:

-Have you seen the photograph used on the websites of multiple retail websites? If so it is likely a stock photo, poorly shot, heavily photoshoped and likely copy/pasted from the supplier's catalog.

-Can you zoom in on the product? If so, is the quality good or poor once you’ve zoomed in? If you are completely unable to zoom in on the product or if once you do it is of very poor quality, then this is a tell-tale sign of an edited copy/paste job of a stock photo.

And there you have it: my top 5 traits to look for when you are shopping for a waist trainer worth the investment.

Happy lacing!

This is a highly relative question and there are many factors that will influence the answer based on how many hours per day you wear your corset and if you are also planning on combining your waist training with diet and exercise.

Best way for me to answer this question is to share with you my personal experience and results.

That said, when I recently recommenced my waist training and properly seasoned my corset, I noticed that my tummy felt more smooth and flat after just a week of regular wear. What is important to remember is that I only remove my corset when I go to bed, for my work outs and obviously when I shower. So, it is very possible that after only a week's time, if I were to stop wearing my corset completely, my waist may very well relax back to its natural state over a period of time.

Also, I incorporate my waist training with an overall effort to improve and contribute to a healthy lifestyle, which for me includes daily work outs and a diet high in protein and fiber and low to no refined carbohydrates.

Talking about working out, we've said it before but I'll say it again: anything more than a brisk walk in your corset should be discussed with a licensed trainer. But on the plus side, exercise doesn't need to be anything extreme. Lots of trainers suggest the "3 or 30" technique, which is to either try and fit in a 3 mile walk or 30 minutes of more intense exercise.

I would say that these additional measures (diet and exercise) are definitely the heroes in my effort to trim my waist and waist training is more like an added bonus in the process.

Happy lacing!

For those of you who are giving the corset diet a go, it is important to also consider a few types of food that are best to avoid. This list also applies to those of you interested in waist training.

In general, it’s not so much that these foods are “bad” for you, per se but when you’re all trussed up in your pretty corset, they can definitely cause some unneeded discomfort.

Soda

Some call it pop, others call is soda, I call it the number one food to avoid whilst in your corset!

When you’re wearing your corset, there is a certain level of tension that it applies to your middle. This is precisely why many people credit the corset to helping them control their portions and overall, lose weight. Now, Even if its diet soda, think about it this way:
Tension around your middle + carbonated beverage = major tummy discomfort.

Try taking a swig of soda and before you swallow it, swish it around in your mouth. Have your cheeks completely puffed out to the point where you can barely contain it in your mouth anymore? Well, same thing happens in your belly when you drink it and that can cause major bloat, which will be all the more uncomfortable while laced into your corset.

Instead of soda, try adding calorie free flavor packets or liquids to your water.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a diuretic, which dehydrates you. Dehydration leads to water retention. Water retention leads to bloat. Like with the previous food mentioned here, bloat + corset = discomfort. Avoid caffeine.

Instead of coffee, go with green tea. Though it still contains some caffeine its benefits far outweigh any cons.

Salt

Same as caffeine, salt has the ability to cause water retention. No need to cut it out all together (on that note: who has given the Paleo diet a try? I could not do it simply because you have to cut out ALL salt!), but it’s a good idea to cut back on it.

Rather than depending too greatly on salt to flavor your favourite meals, play around with other spices (sodium free!).

Too Much Water

I am in no way trying to discourage a healthy amount of water from your diet. Water is crucial no matter if you are dieting or not, waist training or not. 8 8oz glasses of water are always in order to stay properly hydrated. However, some people go a little water crazy because articles have reported that drinking more water can help curb your appetite. The thing is that when you’re in your corset, you may find that the tension around your middle can make you more aware that you need to pee and as such use the bathroom more frequently. So, if you over hydrate yourself, you may come to find your bathroom visits (and their increased frequency) are growing annoying and inconvenient, which could deter you from carrying on with your regimen.

Instead of over watering yourself, stick to 8 8oz glasses throughout the day.

Refined Carbohydrates

Last on the list is refined carbs. Overall, what we want to avoid when waist training or following the corset diet is bloat and the inevitable discomfort that comes with it. Refined carbs, especially fresh pasta or fresh baked bread are the biggest causes of bloat. Have you ever seen dough rise? Well, don’t know if you knew this but if you eat freshly cooked pasta or freshly baked warm bread, it continues to expand in your digestive tract. Not pleasant.

Instead of refined carbs, try adding more vegetables to your plate.

Happy lacing!

~Sabrina.

Perhaps one thing that most everybody who puts a corset on for the first time loves most about it is the way you quite literally achieve instant results. Your waist, in a matter of the time it takes to lace yourself in comfortably, goes from its original size right down by 4" to 5" with a steel boned corset or even down by 6" to 7" with a waist training corset. A virtually instant and impressive difference!

However, for those of us who wish to waist train or even just wear our corsets, if not all day long, then certainly on a regular basis, we must learn to practice a touch of patience so that we can properly season our corset.

To "season" your corset might sound like a fancy and exclusive term, but its really quite simple. It basically means to "break it in".

The very same way you wouldn't choose to wear your newest shoes out for a long walk, you also wouldn't want to take your corset straight out of its package, tighten it to its fullest capacity and not take it off again for 6-10 hours.

If you were to do this (put it on and lace it to its fullest capacity straight out of the package), then you risk damaging the corset and causing yourself significant discomfort.

So, how does one season their corset? Simple! Just follow these basic steps and your corset will be fully molded and shaped to your unique curves in roughly 7-10 days:

• Before trying to fasten your corset, make sure that you have fully loosened the back laces. This will insure that you do not warp the front busk by trying to hard to get it to fasten.
• Once fastened, gently pull the laces in until the corset feels lightly snug. To a degree where if you wanted to, you could still tighten the corset further, but for the time being, stop there!
• After wearing your corset like this for 45 minutes to an hour, feel free to take the laces in a touch more.
• Continue to take the laces in a touch more after every 45 minute to 1 hour interval until the corset is fully tightened.
• Do not wear your corset tightened to its full capacity for over 1-2 hours.

Continue these steps daily for 1 week to 10 days, and by the end of that period your corset will be well seasoned, the laces will slide smoothly between the grommets, the front busk closure will fasten up with nary any effort and you will be able to take your corset in to its fullest degree with no gaps or pulling, no warping or bending of the bones.

Happy lacing!