Waist trainers can work. Off the shelf products made by places like Spanx etc will not bring you to a point of satisfaction. If that is what you mean by waist trainers perhaps not. For a more serious adventure in waist training, I would say you need to look at corsets, which are a whole different level of waist trainers. I have worn corsets off and on for many years and I purchased well made corsets that are made for my body shape. They take weeks to get used to them, as you do, then you start to lace tighter and and enjoy the feel. To me a corset feels like an extended hug which I have become accustomed to, I crave that feeling. It can shape mildly, meaning as you where one your muscles get shaped by the waist and used to being compressed. Once you relax enough they are comfy to wear for standing up cocktail parties etc., when bending over and driving they are more cumbersome and need a different way of sitting and picking up things etc.
The benefit of wearing is: you will eat less, so on one hand you waist train by reducing you food intake. You can't put on a corset and expect to eat a regular meal, so in that sense you are training your waist by taking in less food. As you wear them you become relaxed (muscles) and you can wear them enough to put one on and be comfy. For avid wearers they will don a corset for 10 to 16 hours or more a day, no problems and for many days of the year. A long term wearer will lose muscle structure in the back, so when not wearing one you are more susceptible to injury. Once to have grown use to your corset, you abdominal organs will shift around and fit for you to be more comfy. I will say it takes many weeks to finally get to a point of satisfaction looking at your self in the mirror, rushing it will give injury to you and failure in the corset. I have purchased many, I buy custom fit corsets which can be from $500 up $2000 depending how fancy you go, material and styles of corsets. If you consider a program bear in mind that you will get 1-3 corsets to get yourself to a point of Ah Ha! First one should be consider a starter to get use to them and then as you down size in the waist, you will need another, the another. Because most people will loose some girth, and the amount of space between the back busks will change as you lace, you can't do it all in one corset and losing 4-6inches around. For someone who is fit and slender they maybe be able to use fewer corsets to have a pleasing shape.
They are awesome and the benefits of wearing a corset can you get a smoking hot figure. Mine have been with a male body(with out hips), as I venture further on HRT, I will get nicer hips and that will make the silhouette all that much better (looking forward to that). In a lot of ways, waist training is a lifestyle which can be exotic and pleasing but if you only wearing once in awhile it maybe a frustration with impatience as we want the shape but can't afford the time.
It is an investment in time and money an a fabulous journey all the same.
Liina
