If you’re completely new to waist training, it’s normal to be a little curious and maybe even a little skeptical about how well it works. Is it really possible to slim down your waistline simply by wearing a band around your waist?

Actually yes—that's exactly what happens as soon as you put on a waist trainer. Some high-compression waist trainers instantly shrink your waistline by up to four inches!

But, what about when you take the garment off? That's a whole different side of waist training. There are a lot of nuances that can affect your long-term waist training experience.

If you’re new to waist training and wondering what to expect and how effective your experience will be, here are some possibilities.

Getting the Most Out of Your Waist Trainer

Like many health and fitness practices, what you get out of waist training largely depends on what you put into it.

First, we recommend doing your homework about which waist trainer, or combination of waist trainers, is going to be right for you. Factors to consider include your size and shape, your lifestyle, and your slimming goals. The most important thing is that your waist trainer fits correctly.

Check out this complete guide for more tips on choosing your waist trainer.

Once you have the ideal waist trainer and have confirmed that it is a great fit, the next step is to wear it—often. For the best results, we recommend wearing a waist trainer at least eight hours a day.

What to Expect When Putting It On

Eight hours a day may sound daunting at first, especially since you may find it a bit uncomfortable the first time you try your waist trainer on. But don’t worry; it’s a practice you can learn slowly.

• We recommend starting out wearing your waist trainer for just an hour or two and then incrementally adding a little more time each day.
• This gives your waist trainer the opportunity to break in, and it also gives your body the opportunity to adjust to the way it feels.
• You can take breaks if you need to; skip a day once a week when you first start out if you want, or break up your wear into two shorter sessions in the same day.
• Generally, with dedication, most people are able to comfortably wear their waist trainer from 8–12 hours a day after about a month.

Don't Forget to Eat Well

The final piece to making your waist training experience most effective is to complement your waist trainer use with proper diet and exercise. If this is personally a challenge for you, remember that you can make incremental changes in this area as well. In fact, wearing the waist trainer can even motivate you as you start to see results.

• Drink more water instead of caffeine and sweetened beverages.
• Eat more whole ingredients and less processed foods and sugar.
• Consume smaller portions (which you’ll want to do when wearing a waist trainer anyway).
• Aim to work out 4–5 days a week, including both cardio and core-strengthening exercises.

All of these factors working together are what create the most powerful results during a waist training regimen.

How and When To Expect Results

This is one of the most frequent questions we receive: “How long until I see results?” We can’t put an exact number on how or when you will see results, because each person is different. But we must emphasize that if you trust the process and stick with it, you’re going to be happy that you did.

The best way to know if your waist training routine is working is to track your progress. We don’t recommend watching the pounds on the scale terribly closely, as this can be misleading (especially if you’re building more muscle mass through your workout routine). Instead, we recommend taking waist measurements and progress photos.

• Take a picture of your waistline without your waist trainer on at least monthly, if not weekly.
• Try to wear the same outfit and take your photo in the same light and angle, at the same time of day.
• Photos and measurements don’t lie, and we’re pretty confident you’ll be pleased with what you’ll see.

One thing we don’t recommend is comparing your waist training results to someone else’s. While we love it when women inspire each other, everyone’s experience is different. Lifestyle, shape, size, goals and even genetics are all factors that generate different experiences and results.

Having said that, we do love showcasing just how effective waist training can be with our customers’ results.

What Customers Are Saying

Now it’s time to get inspired! Here are some real results that Hourglass Angel waist training customers have experienced from their waist training routines:

• “I have gone from a 42 to a 38. Wearing the waist trainer also teaches you to eat smaller portions hence changing you eating habit. My aunt and sisters have noticed the changes. Now they are also wearing them.”
  –Trena, purchased Ann Chery Latex Waist Shaper Vest
• “Wearing the waist trainer alone gives you an instant 1-2 inches off your waist, but to start seeing a change in my body that started staying more permanent, it took me about 2-3 weeks. My current results are after two months of wearing it. I wore the first set of hooks the first month, then the second set of hooks the second month.”
  –Lillie, read her full story here
• “I've only been wearing my cincher about a week and a half now but I swear I'm seeing results already! I work 40 hours a week, 5–8 hour days so it is very easy for me to simply wear my cincher to work. On the weekend I just throw it on for a few hours during my day. I currently have a desk job that I have been at for 5 years and have trouble with my posture usually but my cincher has already helped with that immensely! I love it! It's not too uncomfortable to wear... think someone's giving you a tight hug all day long! I'm thinking maybe in another month I'll be able to move over to the next set of hooks! Super excited about it! :)
  –Meagan, purchased Classic Waist Cincher by Amia.

 

These are just a few of the many results real women have experienced. You can find more in our Before and After Gallery as well as in the reviews of every waist trainer we carry. And be sure to tell us about your own waist training experience! #bethehourglass