The Tightlacer’s Diet
Dieting alone does not reliably result in weight loss. For some it's because it's very difficult to stick to a strict diet. I find that the simplest way to keep a diet is to eat when you're hungry. I can't stand being hungry. I may eat five or six times in one day. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's all portion control and smart nutrition. There are some foods it's better to avoid, but to be honest I don't feel as though I've sacrificed much in my quest for a smaller waist. I have realized one thing. To keep the weight off, and have the maximum amount of comfort and progress as a tight lacer, you can't think of it as a diet. It's just the way I live now. I'll never go back to the traditional ‘3 square meals a day ' way of eating.
There is a theory, that wearing a tight corset is like an external gastric band. People think I'm wearing it solely to limit my food intake or some such nonsense. It's entirely possible that you will feel full sooner while wearing your corset than you would otherwise. In my opinion, eating past the point that we are full is one activity that leads to a lot of excess weight gain. Yes, I love food and it is delicious. It will taste just as good a few hours later, so I'll put the extra away and stop stuffing myself. That was my mantra for the first month of tight lacing. It's much easier to do so now. The corset may help but it's also your will power and desire to be fit.
It is also important to drink eight glasses of water a day. Many people say this, and I agree, for so many reasons. Hunger can often be thirst in disguise. If you feel hungry and you've just eaten, drink a glass of water and wait before eating again. When starting on a new diet, if you had previously been less than properly hydrated, begin drinking eight glasses of water daily. Within a week you will find that you've lost weight. This can be very encouraging. Not to mention how your skin will improve when you are properly hydrated. When waist training, drinking a lot of fluids will minimize cramps and gas, making you more comfortable in your corset as well.
I would recommend that you avoid carbonated drinks, all sodas and pop included. Not only are they empty calories, even the diet ones will eventually cause problems. As your waist becomes smaller with successful tight lacing, there will be less room for the bubbles. This can lead to gas and cramps. You'll look fab in your corset, you don't want to ruin it with a loud belch. For those of us who love soda, this may be tough. I drink more tea now, tea counts as water in my book.
A tight lacer’s diet should only minimally contain foods that take a long time to digest, like red meats. I am very fond of steak, so that was a tough one for me. Also minimize foods that expand in your stomach when water is introduced, like rice and pasta. Growing up, I ate rice everyday. It's part of my culture. I do substitute vegetables for rice a lot more now. That may have contributed to my speedy progress in waist training. You can still waist train without changing your diet, but I feel that for optimal results, dieting and tight lacing go hand in hand.
Rather than focus purely on the foods you can't have, I'll discuss the wide variety of healthy foods that should be part of anyone's diet. My diet consists of plenty of salads, vegetables & fruits, cheese, protein, poultry, fish & other seafood, whole grain bread & other high fiber foods, and chocolate. Happiness is a very important part of a successful diet. For me, chocolate = happiness. Your happiness may vary, of course. Here is a typical day's worth of meals and snacks. Water is consumed throughout.
Early morning: large espresso flavored protein shake
Mid morning: oatmeal with fruit and nuts
Brunch: cup of soup & crackers
Afternoon: salad (my favorite is antipasto: lettuce, tomato, cucumber, black olives, artichoke hearts & mozzarella with Italian dressing)
Late Afternoon: large fruit smoothie (the JJ special: mango puree with frozen pineapples, strawberries, peaches, blueberries and nonfat vanilla yogurt)
Evening: Supper is the one meal I share with others, so it may contain things that a tightlacer might like to otherwise avoid. In moderation it is fine. I recently made a filet mignon with mushroom risotto and roasted zucchini and squash. My plate differed from those of my family. They are not dieting so they received large servings of the risotto, which contains rice. I had more roasted vegetables. Since the cut of meat I used is small by nature, I had a regular serving of it.
Sneaky Late Night Snack: Even if your dinner was filling, sometimes you have that irresistible compulsion to peer into your refrigerator hours later, looking for something to snack on. This is when you can either blow your calorie count to smithereens, or keep it in check. I bought a box of chocolate flavored Fiber One bars just for these moments. I do not actually count calories, but if I did I quietly take pleasure in the fact that my daily intake would be within respectable parameters. I don't believe in the myth that if you eat after a certain time whatever you eat is destined to become cellulite or fat, and cling to your hips or thighs for the rest of your days. I eat when I'm hungry, and that's that.
Next time, we'll discuss the tight lacer’s exercise regimen. When combined with regular tight lacing and a sensible diet, it can produce amazing results. If you have any questions or suggestions, please send them to nytightlacer@gmail.com |
What I Look for in a Tightlacing Corset
Each of us has different wants and needs when it comes to our clothing. I like mine to be form fitting and sleek. Initially, I sought to disguise my bulging waistline with different styles than I usually wear, but something occurred to me. If you are unhappy with your body, do you change your clothes, or change your body? Obviously you want to look good and be comfortable, but if you buy larger clothing because you have gained weight, rather than actively try to lose the weight, where does that leave you? When does it end? I was standing in a clothing store picturing myself buying a larger pant size every year. I hastily put the size 10 jeans back on the rack.
When tight lacing, the opposite is the case. If you are successful, you will be buying a smaller corset size every year. Twice a year or more depending on your diet, exercise and rate of wear. At my current rate, I estimate that I will be sporting a 22” corset by the end of this year. I do stress that it isn't a race, and I'll be perfectly happy in a 24”, if that's what I am comfortable wearing. Wearing the corset alone does not immediately result in weight loss. It does shift the body fat in what many say is a very aesthetically pleasing way. I am naturally pear shaped, so I haven't noticed a big difference, but many of my friends who waist train have said that their hips appear to be curvier. As a curvy shape is the goal of many, this is good news.
I have a checklist that I use to ensure that the corset I am about to purchase will help me meet my waist training goals. It’s quite long and detailed. After looking at the different shapes and styles available, I decided I only wanted a corset that could give me the high waisted, retro pin-up look. Underbust styles are ideal for waist training, they give pressure just where you need it, and are very comfortable. No matter your bust size, you can find an underbust corset to fit you. Overbust corsets are lovely as well, but not necessarily for daily wear.
Steel bones are also a must, as they have the strength to gently shape your waist without buckling and warping like plastic bones do. A corset made with a mix of flexible spiral steel and rigid flat steel is very good for a beginner. A more experienced tight lacer may opt for a corset with only flat steel. I hear it takes a bit of getting used to. When I obtain one I'll be sure to list the pros and cons. Another internal component of a good corset is waist tape. Waist tape is a sturdy ribbon that is used reinforce the waist line of a corset. It takes some of the stress off the fabric, and can add to the durability of a corset. Some corsets don't have it and they work just fine, but I prefer those that do.
Nearly every corset that I currently own has a steel busk in front. It is by far the fastest and easiest way to get in and out of a corset. It also aids in keeping a round tummy in check. You can request a corset with no front opening, but you need VERY long laces and it will take quite some time to get out of., especially if you have broad shoulders. I learned this the hard way. The corset does look very nice though. I have also seen real corsets with heavy duty zips and laces in the front as well as in the back, though I have not yet purchased one.
As to fabric, I like to ask the retailers how many layers they use in their corsets. Ideally there would be three. These can include a cotton or denim lining, a stiff coutil or twill inner layer to keep the bones from shifting, and a fashion fabric for the outer layer. A corset with a heavy outer layer, such as leather, may have only two layers and still be quite good. The fashion fabric can be anything you like, but for daily wear it's a good idea to pick something durable that can be easily spot cleaned.
Shape is a feature that is easy to overlook when shopping for waist training corsets, but becomes all-important after you have been wearing them for a while. Most corsets feature a sloped curve, with a gradual curve from bust to hip. Many corsets that are described as hourglass are actually sloped. They are very comfortable and do not press on the ribs or hips too much. Some corsets have an hourglass curve, which features a sharp indent towards the waist from the bust, and then just as sharply slants out to the hips. It’s a very dramatic look, highlighting the contrast between the tight lacer’s tiny waist and ample hips. This is my ideal figure.
It does apply pressure on the ribs and can shape them to have a smaller circumference at the base of the ribcage. A tapering waist is what I'm looking for, so for me it's fine. A wide ribcage tends to give me a very straight up and down ’ruler’ type figure. If you don't want that effect, it can easily be avoided by buying a shorter corset or waist cincher, that doesn‘t pull in the lower ribs. I prefer longer corsets that begin just under the bust and go below the hips. This completely flattens the tummy and also lifts the bust.
There are other corset shapes of course, but as I do not intend to wear them, I haven’t discussed them here. The conical Elizabethan styles aren’t fit for waist training, more of a costume really. The straight front or ‘S-Curve’ style is far too constricting and places a lot of pressure on the abdomen. I would not recommend it. The pipe stem style corset is one you may have seen on experienced tight lacers. It features a lengthened waist line, accomplished by years of waist training. It adds an extreme amount of pressure on the wearer’s ribs. I will not be taking my training that far. At the smallest, I will probably wear a 22” corset, because in my opinion any smaller that that would not be visually appealing on me.
I hope I’ve provided some helpful tips on how to pick out your corset. If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me at nytightlacer@gmail.com .
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Why I Do It
Hello, I‘m JJ. Aged 24, native New Yorker, tightlacer. I've always been a very slender, athletic person. I used to play sports in school, ride bikes and all that. I never worried about my figure too much. I did like to dress up, and I had many fashion tops that some would think of as corsets, with plastic boning and zippers. I always loved the look and feel of them, but didn't know a thing about steel boning or busk. It wasn't until later in life that I moved beyond fashion to functional corsets.
I first became interested in them when I began working on a costume in March 2010. The costume itself was a strapless leather bustier top with no boning. I began to go over my measurements to ensure the pattern I was drawing up was correct, when I noticed a discrepancy. The last time I'd measured my waist in 2008, it was 26''. I was now sporting a slightly bulgy 30''. Mildly horrified, I raced to the scale. I'd gained 20 lbs as well. I never truly understood women who say they don't know how they gained weight, until that moment. I became incensed with weight loss plans and dieting, with no results. I didn't want to accept my larger waist. I wanted to exercise, but I have a severe disability, so joining a gym was out of the question. I realized that diet and exercise are good, but it's impossible to target weight loss from one particular spot on the body. It will likely go from the areas most of us want to keep it, and many agree the tummy is the toughest place to budge fat from.
I love most of my body, but I crave the tiny waist I used to have. A small waist with a flat tummy emphasizes the hips and bust, and makes every clingy top and elegant gown look fabulous. As I researched low impact ways to obtain the hourglass figure, I discovered body shapers, girdles, high top control hosiery and garments of that nature. I even purchased a few and tried them. They're good for quick fixes and special events, to be worn under clothing to obtain a smooth look. But I desired permanence. That's when I discovered corsets. Real, steel boned corsets, used for waist training. Custom or off the rack, when worn 23 hours a day, 7 days a week, they can reduce your waist by 4 inches. And the results can be seen even without the corset on. I knew I was on to something.
I researched many sites, found corsets ranging from $10 to $500 or more. Many of the low end corsets were actually fashion tops, lingerie or bustier, and not at all suitable for tight lacing. A few of the cheapies were surprisingly sturdy. I found that occasionally the price does NOT indicate quality. I did order an expensive custom job, which had an 8 week turnaround. Still waiting for it. And so I turned to off the rack. I wore the corsets loosely at first, and only for a few hours a day. At no point have I experienced any discomfort or pain from my corsets, because I never tightened them beyond my comfort zone or wore them longer than I wanted to. As I became more comfortable, I began to tighten them and wear them longer. Eventually I began sleeping in my corsets. I ate smaller, healthier meals 4 or 5 times a day. I drank 2 liters of water a day as well. I did exercises daily to strengthen my back and stomach muscles. I stopped looking at the scale.
Amazingly, after one month of waist training, without a custom corset, I have lost 2 inches off my natural waist. This has encouraged me to fully embrace tight lacing as a lifestyle. I am never seen without a corset, whether below my clothing or over it. Wearing corsets makes me stand up straighter, walk proudly and feel incredible. Knowing that I not only look fabulous and unique, but that at the same time I am shaping my body into my personal ideal image makes me happier than I've ever been. Some people may view corsets negatively, but that is because they do not fully understand them or the people who wear them. They see them as painful or harmful when they are not, when worn correctly, or they believe corsets to cause the body to appear emaciated or grotesque.
There are a few extreme examples out there, like Cathie Jung, who is famous for having the smallest waist on a living person. I am in no way trying to steal her crown. For me it's not about the number on the measuring tape, or the number on the scale. I want to have an hourglass figure, a body that is beautiful, healthy and in proportion. I believe that regular wear of corsets, in conjunction with a healthy diet and daily exercise during my hour out of the corset can get me there. I believe that it can be done safely and with no harm to my body. I do wish to say that tight lacing is not for those with any preexisting conditions that would make daily wear of a tight corset uncomfortable or medically unwise.
I will be updating weekly with my experiences in tight lacing, what to look for in a functional corset and general updates on my progress. If you have any questions or any suggestions for what you'd like to hear about, feel free to email me. Waist training is a long commitment if you want your results to be permanent, and I hope you'll join me for the ride.
JJ
nytightlacer@gmail.com |
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