11/30/09 -day 16

Great Thanksgiving. Not too gluttonous. I am making this dress for a Christmas party. It is the full length one out of a red shantung. I have another butterick 1952 vintage pattern that looks fabulous with the corset. I will post pics.

It didn't wear it at all on Thanksgiving or on Friday. Oops. But the rest of the weekend, I wore it at about 26". For several hours on sunday I wore it at 25". It doesn't hurt like it did. 26.5" is way too loose now.

I am a little confused. When my corset is laid out flat, each half measures 11.5". So it should measure 23" when completely closed. Strangely though, when I have it on and there is only a 1" gap, it measures 25". That would seem that it would be 24" when closed. I don't get the discrepancy.

Somebody help me with the back fat issue. Yuk!! A tiny waist is really offset by the nasty spillover effect. It is difficult to be discreet about wearing a corset when it looks like I am wearing a way-too-small bra.
I went jogging yesterday and made myself sick again. This is stupid. I have really scaled back. I jog a 1/2mile then walk a 1/2 mile, totalling three. One would think my body could handle this!!! Buncha crap. It can't go on forever.

11/25/09 -day 12

Got it down to 1" to close for a fitting. I probably could have closed it with help. Just had it that way for 10 minutes or so to get a dress and a pair of pants altered. I am having a major wardrobe crisis. Prior to my corset wearing, most of my clothing hung on my hips. I try to put the corset under these items, but it pulls them up so high I get camel toes. If I put the corset over them then it pushes into my skin and hurts by the end of the day. I don't even want to start about the armpit spillover issue. My waist looks great, but the back fat has got to go.

11/23/09 -day 10

Great weekend. One 12 hour day. I did get it laced to 25.75" last night with no pain. Wore it that way for several hours. Today at work, I have it at 26.25 and I am very comfortable. Thank heaven for progress. I have 2.75" left until it is closed. It was the full 4" when I started on day 1 and 2.
I did sleep in it for half of one night. 26.5". I'm not sure at what time decided a good night's sleep was more important. I want a cotton one for christmas- a buskless.

Mmmmm.... peanut butter cookies and coffee. God's consolation prize for enduring mornings.


6pm.

8 hours today. Will wear it to sleep tonight. Came home and ran a couple of miles with the dog. He ate a bunch of my peanut butter cookies while I was at work. My kids will be upset. We will have to make the dog some peanut butter bone-a-fidos.

11/20/09 -day 7

Last night I laced down to 25.5" for the event. It was both as small as I could get it on my own, and as much as I could physically handle. I have 38" hips, so although 25" isn't small, it was a dramatic reduction even clothed. My husband ditched me, so I had to drive myself to the place a good 20 minutes away. This was hellacious. After I got there, it wasn't easy. I lasted another 45 minutes. Good thing it was only a "make an appearance" type of function. The big killer was my back. It felt as though all of the discomfort I had in my ribs before migrated around behind. It is all on my left side only. I undressed the second I got back in my car. The pain hit when I took the thing off, but only for about 30 seconds or so. Whoa! The bottom line is, I did it. I didn't do it all night or set myself back, but I did endure it for a while.

This morning I thought I would take the day off from being bound, but I felt frumpy, so I am wearing it again. Strangely enough, my back doesn't hurt today. Go figure.

11/19/19 -day 6

My back hurts. I loosened it again. Maybe it will buy me some more time. Sitting all day is the devil.


1pm. I took the thing off again. I hate feeling defeated. 4.5 hrs today. I will be wearing it this evening. Maybe sleeping in it would be better than trying to sit at work all day.

11/18/09 -day 5

I did end up loosening the laces yesterday. It was a good thing I did, as I made it 7 hours total. I took a 3 mile walk with my dog in lieu of jogging. All in all, it is getting easier. I taught yoga last night and a student commented that she thought I had lost weight. I haven't lost any wieght overall, but I may have lost some fat. The corset is helping with appetite, or maybe that is just my being pumped over the whole thing.
Tomorrow I have a business party I am going to. It is my wish to be able to lace down to 24" so that I can wear a tight-waisted wrap-around dress. I hope it is something that I can do for two hours without setting back my progress by bruising my ribs.


2pm.
I took that damn thing off. 5 hours is enough for now. Maybe later.

day 4. 11/17/09

I made it 9 hours yesterday. I even drove home. I expected it to hurt like a mf when I took it off, but the sensation was not nearly as pronounced as the day before.
I don't have my tape with me at work, so I really don't know how tight I have cinched it today. Already my back hurts. I will give it another hour and see if the lace (ribbon) redistributes. I may have to go loosen it. But damn it looks good!

I should also mention that I am a yoga instructor. I am not exactally sure how relevant it is, but I do not have much curvature of the spine. With that in mind, I would expect to have an easier time than some slouchers. On the other hand, there are several hours each day that are not available for me to be bound. I also wonder how having developed core muscles will go with corsetting? Will it be a setback, or a good counter-balance? Ugh, I shouldn't have eaten that sausage-egg-cheese buscuit for breakfast. Oh, that reminds me. I failed to eat after breakfast yesterday. Maybe having a squished belly is a good appetite supressant. I plum forgot to eat! Unheard of for me.

First time at work 11/16/09

This is my life-saver.




I can sit upright without shoving the stays up into my ribs. Only 1 hour down. I need to get to work and quit blogging about my new corset. I'm excited! Oh BTW. I brought it to work with me and put it on in the bathroom I knew the 20min drive would keep me from being able to wear it at all today. I will take it off when I leave; that should be 7 hours in on the 3rd day.

11/15/09

I went jogging this morning. 2 miles only. I have been over-training and making myself ill. I hate not being able to run to my full ability. After the jog, I showered and laced my corset and wore it to breakfast. Driving is NOOOOO good!! OUCH!! my ribs hurt. I couldn't get home fast enough.

I left it off for most of the day, but realized it is only bad when I am sitting. I need to break it in while I am active. I put it back on and laced it to 26.5" and walked the dog for 2 more miles. It was great. I took it back off when I knew I would just be sitting around the house.

It arrives in the mail 11/14/09

Gorgeous. Even without lacing it, it definately contours my bod. I love it.

Here's my background. 33 yr old mother of 2. Never tightlaced before. I currently weigh 140lbs with a 27" waist. 2yrs ago (not ancient history) I weighted 130 with a 25" waist. So I am trying to disregard any progress with regard to losing that 2 inches as natural weight loss.

It laces up with ease to 26.5 inches. I can do this by myself without much effort. I am guessing the corset itself adds an inch. I need to ask the manufacturer (www.isabellacorsetry.com out of sacramento)