We test out a Kim Kardashian-style waist trainer for a month to see if it really works
WAIST trainer belts are all the rage – as being #slimthick with a teeny tum but normal hips, bum and thighs, is a hot look on Instagram.
These corsets are adored by the Kardashians. Kylie wore one seven weeks after having baby Stormi, and Kim recently launched a £52 version.
You can now get them from Amazon for £13 and John Lewis for £40 – or pay £85 for Kim’s fave from Waist Gang Society.
They vow to “erase inches” from the waist and train your body to STAY that way. Even women on online parent forum Mumsnet are fans.
But some have come under criticism - with the likes of model Amy Willerton and Love Islander Hannah Elizabeth being slammed for wearing them so soon after giving birth.
Doctors warn new mums need to wait for the uterus to shrink back naturally and water retention to go down.
So are the belts a good idea? Writer Lauren Clark, a size 10/12, tried one – and here’s her diary.
Week one
With the kind of restriction that you’d expect from a bungee-jumping harness, my £40 WT from Waist Train UK has three rows of hooks down the front – you start on the loosest, then tighten it each week.
First comes the challenge of getting it on, which involves 15 minutes of squirming and breathing in as hard as I can.
Rather than admire my newly svelte waist – immediately reduced by 7cm (3in) from 62cm (24½in) to 55cm (21½in) – I feel claustrophobic, as though someone has wrapped masking tape around me.
I soon discover the WT doesn’t allow me to eat as much as usual. It’s constantly squishing my stomach, like an external gastric band. My portions shrink – half a sandwich is plenty, with no room for pudding.
When I take it off after eight hours, I’m shocked by the red indentations marking my skin.
During this week, I’m staying with my parents – my mum, in particular, is horrified and begs me to stop. But I’m determined not to give up on my quest for an hourglass shape.
By day seven, my tummy is noticeably flatter, but the scales don’t show any weight loss.
Week two
Back in London, I understand why the Kardashians live in leggings when they’re not in bodycon outfits.
The WT is a nightmare with my normal clothes. It looks odd beneath anything delicate or form-fitting, and flattens my B-cup boobs, giving them a “shelf”.
To hide my weirdly cinched-in figure, I stick to baggy jeans and slouchy jumpers.
During my second week I catch a plane to Portugal to visit a guy I’m dating – and going through security feels extra nerve-racking, for fear my WT will be mistaken for a more sinister vest.
I try to avoid showing my guy the WT, but when he catches a glimpse, he rolls his eyes at my latest efforts to beautify myself.
The thick, industrial-style material is a far cry from a balconette bra and lacy sus-penders, and we both find it totally unsexy.
Week three
By now I’m stuffing myself into my WT with hatred.
Is it worth the pain? Even simple tasks such as sitting at a desk feel far harder, leaving my sides aching and hips numb.
But it does help my posture, simply because I can’t physically slouch. I’m also regularly consumed by waves of nausea, and my tummy gurgles like The Exorcist.
On the plus side, at least I don’t wee myself – some WT users experience incontinence due to the pressure of the material on the bladder.
Week four
Numb hips, nausea – and now almost fainting too. Walking up a slight hill to meet a friend, I suddenly feel dizzy and need to stop for a breather.
It’s scary, the impact the WT is having on even basic body functions. I soon become so lightheaded that I don’t want to risk my regular gym classes, and take the lift instead of the stairs.
Surely this defeats the purpose? Yes, I’ve got instant Dita Von Teese-style curves, but what use is that if I’m about to lose consciousness?
Verdict
All that pain, and I’ve lost just 2cm and one kilogram.
And Dr Ali Ghanem, aesthetic plastic surgeon at the in Harley Street, London, says: “A WT pushes down on the stomach and liver – a very important organ for metabolism and toxic clearance. Health professionals are concerned about the long-term impact of this.”
It’s true you’ll probably eat fewer calories, but changing your diet would be safer.
Dr Ghanem adds: “Yes, you may eat less, but you also won’t be able to breathe very well and it will compromise your liver, which is why wearers complain of nausea, shortness of breath and feeling faint.”
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He adds: “There haven’t been any studies to check the safety of WTs. There’s no regulation because it’s essentially a piece of clothing.”
During my experiment, so many women told me they wanted to try it, too.
Ladies, don’t waste your money. The WT didn’t train my body into curves – and it could have seriously affected my health.
For real results I’ll try some gym kit I can breathe in – like my body was designed to.
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