No, I'm not kidding... I am actually reviewing the Tummy Tuck Belt, the one "seen on TV."
I remember the first time I saw this infomercial, I left it on and watched it -- mostly because I was doing some work and wanted some mindless background noise, and also because it seemed so ridiculous.
The first time these were shipped to me, someone stole my package. My sister said that whoever did it would be surprised to see chia seeds or something, but I'm sure this was even stranger to find than that. When I saw the tracking information, UPS said it was left at the "front door." I subsequently reported the incident to my landlord and have been wary of people in my secure apartment complex who suddenly appears skinnier. Seriously, though, if the culprit is reading, I say to you... you're a scum bag, and it is my personal mission to find out which one of you noisy neighbors did it. Who does that?!
Anyway, you probably came here to read about whether this works, so here we go:
The Tummy Tuck belt claims to work whether you choose to maintain your current lifestyle or exercise, though more/better results will come with exercising. *cue skepticism, but let's continue* The booklet talks about getting small spurts of activity throughout the day, and outlines a healthy diet for those who are inclined (i.e. it's optional). Since I work out regularly and eat pretty healthfully (as I am able!), I am not sure if my results were confounded, but I am pretty attuned to how my abs respond to exercise and diet.
The system:
For 30 days, I was supposed to wear the belt twice a day for 10 minutes after applying a thermogenic cream (it contains caffeine, and less pleasant things like parabens that are also present in many other products that are frequently used). The first two minutes, I was supposed to do ab exercises and then kept it on for the remaining 8. You can keep it on longer, and I sometimes did. No washing off that cream for at least two hours, either. Suffice to say that this was not easy, given my morning workout and shower routine and post-work laziness in the evenings, but I made it work for as long as I could. Also, it tended to "roll up" when I sat in certain positions or tried to do complex ab exercises in it.
I did feel a little more warmth than usual after applying the cream, even hours afterward. I guess that is the "thermogenic effect." The first week, I lost .5" inches, which was a lot considering I had scaled back my workouts a little and wasn't eating perfectly. I was optimistic about the progress, until the second week, when I gained an inch. While my eating wasn't as good the second week, backward results = sign product doesn't work. I think my dedication wavered at that point, missing a session here and there due to sleepiness at night or being late to work in the morning. By the end of the 30 days, I stayed the +1" from the start.
"The Ukrainian" did this with me. He stuck with it better than I did. While he lost 2" in his waist, it could have been due to Insanity and healthy eating, rather than the belt itself. He had been more optimistic than me but then noted that he didn't really think it worked. After we were done with the month and went back to our normal routines, we were still toning up because we cleaned up our eating. Hmmm.
However, wearing the belt claims to have an instant slimming effect (like Spanx!). Here's my test of that:
In conclusion, if something seems to ridiculous that it couldn't be true, it probably isn't. But for those with a lot of middle to "tuck," it might just have a better effect if one follows the diet and moderate exercise. Perhaps doing the two minutes of "tucks" and the small thermogenic effects of the cream are useful, mainly for people who don't pay a lot of attention to their abs and want to try something different.
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FTC Disclaimer: I was sent samples of this product to review but was not otherwise compensated for providing any particular type of opinion.
I remember the first time I saw this infomercial, I left it on and watched it -- mostly because I was doing some work and wanted some mindless background noise, and also because it seemed so ridiculous.
The first time these were shipped to me, someone stole my package. My sister said that whoever did it would be surprised to see chia seeds or something, but I'm sure this was even stranger to find than that. When I saw the tracking information, UPS said it was left at the "front door." I subsequently reported the incident to my landlord and have been wary of people in my secure apartment complex who suddenly appears skinnier. Seriously, though, if the culprit is reading, I say to you... you're a scum bag, and it is my personal mission to find out which one of you noisy neighbors did it. Who does that?!
Anyway, you probably came here to read about whether this works, so here we go:
The Tummy Tuck belt claims to work whether you choose to maintain your current lifestyle or exercise, though more/better results will come with exercising. *cue skepticism, but let's continue* The booklet talks about getting small spurts of activity throughout the day, and outlines a healthy diet for those who are inclined (i.e. it's optional). Since I work out regularly and eat pretty healthfully (as I am able!), I am not sure if my results were confounded, but I am pretty attuned to how my abs respond to exercise and diet.
The system:
For 30 days, I was supposed to wear the belt twice a day for 10 minutes after applying a thermogenic cream (it contains caffeine, and less pleasant things like parabens that are also present in many other products that are frequently used). The first two minutes, I was supposed to do ab exercises and then kept it on for the remaining 8. You can keep it on longer, and I sometimes did. No washing off that cream for at least two hours, either. Suffice to say that this was not easy, given my morning workout and shower routine and post-work laziness in the evenings, but I made it work for as long as I could. Also, it tended to "roll up" when I sat in certain positions or tried to do complex ab exercises in it.
I did feel a little more warmth than usual after applying the cream, even hours afterward. I guess that is the "thermogenic effect." The first week, I lost .5" inches, which was a lot considering I had scaled back my workouts a little and wasn't eating perfectly. I was optimistic about the progress, until the second week, when I gained an inch. While my eating wasn't as good the second week, backward results = sign product doesn't work. I think my dedication wavered at that point, missing a session here and there due to sleepiness at night or being late to work in the morning. By the end of the 30 days, I stayed the +1" from the start.
"The Ukrainian" did this with me. He stuck with it better than I did. While he lost 2" in his waist, it could have been due to Insanity and healthy eating, rather than the belt itself. He had been more optimistic than me but then noted that he didn't really think it worked. After we were done with the month and went back to our normal routines, we were still toning up because we cleaned up our eating. Hmmm.
However, wearing the belt claims to have an instant slimming effect (like Spanx!). Here's my test of that:
In conclusion, if something seems to ridiculous that it couldn't be true, it probably isn't. But for those with a lot of middle to "tuck," it might just have a better effect if one follows the diet and moderate exercise. Perhaps doing the two minutes of "tucks" and the small thermogenic effects of the cream are useful, mainly for people who don't pay a lot of attention to their abs and want to try something different.
------
FTC Disclaimer: I was sent samples of this product to review but was not otherwise compensated for providing any particular type of opinion.
Sounds like some mixed reults, and since you both were altering other aspects to your exercise routines and diets, it's hard to say if the product really works or not.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. The only part that seems uncertain is that the infomercial claim says that you don't need to modify your routine to see results -- but you will get better results if you eat healthy and exercise. I think this just isn't a product for the already very-active.
ReplyDeletehttp://phillipjohnson.myshaklee.com/
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ReplyDeleteI have been warring my Tummy Tuck for 2 weeks and 0 results
ReplyDelete