“Illusion Dressing”: a new interest in the bottom half (butt pads)

Although this blog focuses primarily on serious waist-training and healthy corseting matters, from time to time I am persuaded to post on the topic of fashion. This morning on my favored a.m. news show, GMA, I was amazed to hear about a new butt-lift garment or girdle (I forget the brand name being featured). It can cost from $19 to $45. A pair of jeans at about $100 now features two internal back pockets with add-on butt pads.

That’s amazing to me on several scores. First, I have been blessed or cursed by an ample rear end, compared to my small frame and Kelly-like (of Regis and Kelly fame) petite upper parts.  I’m usually focused on the other end! 🙂 Second, I know personally and know from historical reading about corsets, that visually, corsets create  an enhanced derriere and an enhanced bosom. Victorians called it “illusion dressing” and men railed against us wicked women who used it and tricked them into marrying us, then on the wedding night, our butts and bosoms disappeared as we undressed.  So much for sexist, superficial men who got what they deserved, right?

Because of this visual fashion effect, my MTF clients are well-advised upon starting their  journey to become transwomen, not to indulge in expensive, invasive enhancement surgery of top or bottom. Try a $300 to $600 corset first and enjoy immediate results —  and then adjust the figure silhouette with surgery if needed from that point on, especially since waist-training can have permanent figure-shaping and waist-reducing results.

So even if you wear corsets to trim your waist or provide back support, there will be certain fashion and other figure benefits!

Getting Health Insurance to Pay for a Corset and IRS rules re: weight loss

This season that is upon us sometimes brings more hurry and stress that we would like. Humor always seem to bring balance back to me and I hope, to you, too. I just ran across an amusing article my mom sent me from the Contra Costa Times dated March 7, 2002. Don’t know how I missed posting it until now.

At this time of year we also start to think about closing out our year’s books and (gulp!) tax time! Yikes! The article above somewhat amuses me on this score, and says:

“If you plan to lose weight this year you may also be able to lighten your tax burden. The IRS now allows taxpayers to deduct certain weight loss programs as a medical expense.” You must be directed by a doctor to lose weight, and diet foods, spa visits and non prescription weight loss rememdies cannot be deducted. Check out the rules for taxes in 2011 and you might be pleasantly surprised!

If so then you might ask your doctor if he/she could prescribe our three-month coaching program with corsets, and refer them to our Corsets-Waist Training button on our website, http://www.romantasy.com!! We know that some insurers like Blue Cross will in fact cover part of a corset cost if ordered for losing weight or even back support, and prescribed by a doctor. Nothing ventured — nothing gained!

Morning Madness and More Surgery for Full Figures

Today I was gobsmacked to view on Good Morning America, yet another “new” bariatric surgery named after the surgeon, Dr. Treen, I believe. I did not get the precise spelling of the technique, but it apparently removes great chunks of stomach and places the stomach somehow lower on the instestines? I’ll be researching more on this and reporting back. But for now, the doctor reports that the surgery removes or reduces the ghrelin hormone secretions with resulting reduction in hunger. The secret is apparently creating “bite size meals.”

So does corset waist training have all these effects — without general anaesthesia (a risk in itself), without major skin and organ removal, without a recovery period, without scarring, and without a hefty price tag ($25,00 to $50,000 would be my bet).

For those who by virtue of unfortunate genetics or poor lifestyle choices (or both) exceed the figure size that is conducive to a long and healthy life, the surgery may well make sense. Certainly the lady interviewed as the main proponent of the surgery has lost four dress sizes in one year and 135 lbs. and appeared very happy with the results.

However, I would bet that had she first tried corset waist training perhaps along with our year-long coaching program as well, she might well have lost as much in that first year.

In four months of waist-training without coaching but by following our recommended program,  my best student lost 34 pounds and 6.5″ off his 5’6″ frame. Multiply that times 3 for a years’ continued effort, and you get a possible 102 lb. weight loss and a 10″ to 12″ waistline loss.

Anyone with further information on this new surgery and its beneficial results are welcome to join the discussion and provide further elucidation.