Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I measure my waist?
A. You measure your waist right above your belly button.
Q. What is the procedure for lacing up?
A. Here you go, step-by-step:
1. Open up your corset wide in back and unclip it.
2. Clip it in front first at the middle, or at any clip that you can manage to
get clipped. Then clip all other clips (circular clip over stud). At first it
may seem that the clip and stud are not aligned properly but they are! Keep
trying and you will get it. A new corset is sometimes thicker and needs
clipping several times in order to flatten out the busk fabric and make it
easier to clip on.
3. Once the front is clipped together, reach around back and grasp both ends of
the waist pulls (the loop at the back waistline) and pull them out.
4. Take both loops, or waist pulls, in the opposite hand from what you use. For
example if you are right handed, grab both loops in your left hand and rest the
back of that hand on your hip, holding the waist pulls taut.
5. Use your right hand (assuming you are right handed) and place the back of
that hand at the top edge of your corset at the back gap. Tuck your thumb under
the to criss cross X of the lacing cord and pull out about 3 inches and let go.
Even better is if you can manipulate down to the next X criss cross lacings
while holding the top one taut, then pull the second set out and continue to
the waist.
6. When you reach the waist quickly grasp the waist pulls and take up the
slack, then criss cross the waist pulls and pull once more.
7. Take both waist pull sin one hand and repeat the above process working your
way up from the bottom X cording to the waist and pull the waist pulls once
more.
8. Criss cross them once more then tie a bow at your back.
*Similar to tighteneing up shoe laces.
9. TIP: Some people like to pull each waist pull way around in front over their elbows like "chicken wings" and pull the back shut in that fashion. Try it and you will determine what works best for you.
Q. Does waist training last and how long does it take? I want to know
what I am getting myself into. I don't want to have to wear a corset every day
after reaching my goals.
A. That depends.
Will your new figure last? No -- if you immediately stop training and pig out
on Krispy Kreme donuts. We all know that as a matter of common sense. It will
last if you corset about 2-3 days per week (called "maintenance
corseting") and maintain the moderate lifestyle changes.
Waist training is not for those in a hurry or those who want immediate, easy
results with no effort at all, or who have more money than sense and want to go
for risky surgery and quick fixes. Even such quick fixes rarely work in the
long run.
Q. If I'm corset waist training, should I minimize sugar, or fats, or
both?
A. Although it is commonly agreed that overweight and obesity are due to
excessive energy intake and lack of physical activity, why and how individuals
become obese is linked to multiple causes. There's never one single answer to
any single question, right?
It seems much more important for you to evaluate your total diet and lifestyle
from a comprehensive perspective. Is your energy intake in terms of calories,
and your energy expenditure balanced? If not, then you will gain weight, it's
just that simple! Look also at what factors unique to you, need to be
addressed, taking into account your job, lifestyle, and other considerations.
If you have a sedentary job such as at the computer, you will tend to expend
less calories than someone who is a delivery person, hopping into and out of
her truck all day, and walking to deliver packages. The key is to understand a
few general principles about foods and food choices plus how we eat, then pull
out the stops in terms of looking at your stress level, sleep quantity and
quality, and exercise, plus wearing your corset (which mainly controls portion
size and provides a lot of other minor miracles in terms of boosting your
figure-trimming mission forward), in order to control your weight and
effectively waist train.
Q. I work out and a lot of it strengthens my abs, therefore, will doing
my regular workout hinder the effectiveness of the corset?
A. Do you intend to corset and workout? It’s not impossible, but likely will
dirty your corset far more frequently than normal. Depending on your workout,
you may or will be developing muscles that counter waist reduction, and toning
others that help it.
You do not want to develop the six-pack abs (rectus abdominus muscle) but
concentrate on toning the oblique side waistline muscles. The pressure of
regular corseting, plus better eating habits and diet, and oblique exercises,
will serve to encourage reduction of the waistline. In addition, you will
likely be losing fat first and adding muscle even as you trim down.
Some corset lifestylers advise waist-trainers to cut out all exercise to
intentionally weaken and eventually atrophy waist and back muscles. Frankly,
that goes against common sense when it comes to overall health, and is possibly
dangerous. Most people who wear corsets do not want to have to rely 24/7 on a
corset when their back muscles atrophy without normal use and exercise.
Q. When I am wearing my corset but at the same time want out of it, is
there a way to force myself to keep it on? It always seems that I let it get
the best of me and I take it off.
A. You should never "force" yourself to keep your corset on. Maybe
loosen it if it is uncomfortable.
Q. Can I eat a normal meal while wearing a corset?
A. Most likely, not.
Most people find when they start corseting and for some time later, especially
if you lace down four or more inches, that you eat about half as much, and at
one-half the speed. It takes some time to get used to eating a meal while
corseted. You should corset first, then eat. If you eat first, you will find it
difficult to lace down. Corseting encourages healthy eating habits including
reducing fats, sugar, heavy protein, coffee and alcohol, because you might tend
to get heartburn. It's also important to drink lots of water and choose cooked,
high fiber foods if you routinely wear a corset.