In the last decade or two, waist trainers have really taken off as a popular method to create a slim appearance, an idealized waist shape, and some say that it even helps women to lose weight. Does a waist trainer really help you to lose weight, though? What about sleeping in a waist trainer, does that help to increase the results that you see?
Sleeping with a waist trainer helps you lose weight by reducing appetite, as well as shifting and altering the appearance of fat. However, waist trainers do not melt away excess fat. For best results, it is recommended to stay in waist trainers at least 8 hours per day. You may see an hourglass figure emerge around 2 months of use.
If you are hoping to learn about how you might use a waist trainer to help you either lose belly fat or change the appearance of your midsection, this is the piece for you. Stick with us to learn about the different ways you might see results, safety considerations, and before and after photos associated with using a waist trainer. Let’s dig in!
Contents
How to Use a Waist Trainer to Lose Belly Fat
When using a waist trainer, most often the intent is to lose some belly fat. Additionally, one may use a waist trainer to improve posture or train one’s eating habits. The question arises, how should you properly use a waist trainer to lose belly fat?
When you first begin using one, your waist trainer should be tightly fitting on the largest setting. Over time, you’ll be able to size down and tighten your trainer as your results take effect. This way, you are able to facilitate a gradual slimming of your waist, versus overdoing it and trying to get your trainer to a smaller setting than you might be ready for.
You should expect to clasp the waist trainer near the smallest part of your waist and then pull it down over the rest of your belly to help lose belly fat. Using a trainer like this will help you to feel fuller faster, therefore eating less overall. It will also automatically help you with your posture, as you’ll sit up straighter and taller thanks to the waist trainer supporting your core and subconsciously reminding you to sit up.
Again, we want to emphasize that the idea of gradually tightening your trainer is key here. It won’t be as safe nor effective to overdo it and tighten the waist trainer before your body is ready. Speaking to a personal trainer or someone who has used a waist trainer is also a good way to get a sense of what you can expect.
How Long to Wear Waist Trainer to See Results?
It is recommended that women using waist trainers stay in them for at least 8 hours a day for best results. This is also why sleeping in waist trainers has become more popular, because it can help to maximize the effects of the waist training.
Not only do you need to wear a waist trainer for 8-10 hours a day, but you should do this for weeks at a time, or even months, if this is the route you choose to take.
Most people supplement their waist trainers with the proper exercise and a diet that is not only smaller, thanks to the waist trainer altering your appetite, but that is healthy and balanced. This is meant to give you the right nutrition in those smaller portions of food you’ll be consuming.
Does Waist Training Flatten Your Stomach?
Wearing a waist trainer will not get rid of excess fat in your body. In the same way that working out does not magically melt fat away but rather allows it to burn up as it is used by your body, a waist trainer does not magically train fat away.
Instead, waist trainers do exactly what they are named for. They train the fat in your waist to move to certain areas or to have an altered appearance.
Those who wear waist trainers for over 8 hours a day see the best results, because their stomachs are kept situated in the same position all day long. Therefore, it continues to appear flatter after the trainer is removed.
Sleeping with a Waist Trainer Before and After
You might be wondering what you can expect your results to be if you sleep in a waist trainer.
You can expect to see results over time. Your waist will get used to fitting within certain dimensions, that can be sized down over time, and it will eventually retain that shape even without the waist trainer being left on.
Many people, including those who have had children and are looking to quickly get back to their toned core area, use waist trainers while they sleep to help regain a certain look.
However, there have been case studies that focus on the safety aspects of this trend. Even Dr. Oz has investigated the safety of waist trainers, as Penn State University notes in their case study on waist trainers.
We’ll get back to topic of safety, but let’s talk first about the results of these studies themselves. What effect do these waist trainers truly have?
In these case studies, MRIs tend to show that a woman’s waist will have shrunk around 2 inches. You may not be losing weight due to a waist trainer, but that fat will certainly be redistributed away from your waist.
Benefits of Sleeping with a Waist Trainer
While there are those who advise against using waist trainers, the results do still speak for themselves. If you opt to use a waist trainer for your personal goals, and wish to sleep in one, there are benefits to be had.
- Reduced appetite (if that is a goal of yours)
- Slimmer appearance in the waist area
- Potential for improved posture thanks to the fit of the waist trainer
- More of an hourglass shape
Sleeping in a waist trainer, most directly, will lengthen the amount of time during which you wear the trainer. This will increase the slimming benefits as your waist will remain in that specific shape for an additional 6-8 hours (we hope you get at least 6 hours of sleep, that is!)
Overall, you may see an hourglass figure emerge over time, after around 2 months of use. If you ever don’t want to wear your waist trainer during the day or have clothing that you cannot wear a waist trainer with, such as certain professional attire, swimwear, or anything else, you might choose to wear the waist trainer at night while you sleep.
With these benefits also come some concerns, which you may want to be aware of if you are thinking of purchasing a waist trainer for use.
Dangers of Sleeping with a Waist Trainer
As we noted in a section above, there are certainly risks that come with using a waist trainer and especially sleeping in one long-term.
- Wearing a waist trainer in general will compress your organs. If you remember the section above where we mention that women’s’ waists tend to shrink by notable amounts, you should also understand that the effect of this shrinkage is a potentially dangerous compression of vital organs in the abdomen
- There is the potential for acid reflux, as your organs are more compressed while lying down in a waist trainer.
- You may have interrupted sleep because of the discomfort caused by the waist trainer
- Your oxygen supply may potentially be reduced as a side-effect of these things
These major risks aside, wearing something that suppresses appetite and drastically changes the structure of the waist can lead to issues with body image such as dysmorphia and potentially spiral into other eating disorders.
If sleeping with a waist trainer becomes a big enough issue, it is quite possible that there will be lasting impacts on the way that you sleep such as insomnia or adjusted sleep patterns.
So, while waist trainers certainly do show results, it is worth considering the risk versus the reward of using this type of method. If you do opt to use a waist trainer, you might consider consulting a doctor or specialist to help guide you through any large concerns or topics related to your personal health.