Maria is a busy mom who had difficulty losing weight, due to a medical condition that caused her to gain 45 pounds. When she looked in the mirror, she was no longer happy. And while she wasn't sure if she'd ever get her slim body back, she knew she needed to make a change. Trying a waist trainer turned out to be the key to jumpstarting her transformation.

Maria started going to the gym and wearing her waist trainer nonstop. Within two weeks, she was already noticing results. And by simply wearing the waist trainer, her self-esteem skyrocketed. We caught up with Maria recently to find out more about her 8-week waist training journey.

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

I worked in customer service from the age of 14 to 23. I am a mother of two beautiful daughters. I love to do all kinds of crafts: I sew, crotchet, make jewelry, make soaps, candles etc. About 2 years ago I started to try and live a healthier lifestyle, but once I found out about my health problems I decided I really needed to change a lot.

2. Why did you decide to try waist training?

I wanted to do waist training because I gained over 45 pounds due to a health condition. When I would look at myself in the mirror I wasn't happy. I knew I needed to change. I decided that on my 28th birthday I was going to join a gym and start losing weight. Even if I didn't make it back to 115 pounds, I wanted to be able to look in the mirror and be happy. I saw a lot of ads about how waist training helped women lose weight and keep their curves, so I decided I wanted to get a waist trainer.

3. What garments did you use, and why?

I used the latex waist trainer because I was always at the gym and it helped me sweat a lot.

4. What were your first impressions?

When I first put on the waist trainer, I was in front of a mirror and the first thing I did when I saw myself was smile. The waist trainer gave me a boost of self-esteem I needed. The second thing that I did was run to my boyfriend and asked him how I looked. He said "Wow, you look great. But I love the way you look, no matter what."

5. What was your waist training routine?

I wore my waist trainer almost every day. Some days I would wear it for 12 hours. I worked out in it and I wore it daily. Since I sweated a lot I would have to wipe it down every day. After the first week of wearing the waist trainer I didn't even realize that I was wearing it.

6. Did the garment meet your expectations? How so?

The waist trainer exceeded my expectations. I couldn't believe the difference it was making day by day. I wanted to try the butt lifter and waist trainer together, but I couldn't get the proper fit. My stomach is much flatter and my curves are more defined. I am so happy I wish I could buy all of Hourglass Angel’s products, because I know that they must be amazing since the waist trainer was more than amazing.

7. What were your diet and fitness habits during your waist training journey?

I was very active I went to the gym 6 days a week and I ate very healthy. I did catch a cold towards the 5th week so I took a little break from the gym, but I still ate healthy and did yoga.

8. In the past, have you faced any challenges with weight-loss and/or fitness?

The waist trainer helped me because when I would go to the gym I was always worried that people were looking at my stomach. When I put the waist trainer on I felt more confident and I wasn't worried that people were staring at me. I loved the way I looked and felt wearing the waist trainer.

9. When did you start seeing results?

I started seeing results almost immediately, about two weeks after wearing the waist trainer. I was losing weight and seeing it.

10. Has anyone else noticed your results?

Everyone I know has noticed my weight loss. I get so excited when someone tells me that I lost weight or that I look good. I am so much happier that I started this journey with Hourglass Angel.

11. What would you say to others who are thinking about trying waist training?

I would tell them that waist training is the best thing that ever happened to me when it came to losing weight. Also, the bonus of using a waist trainer is you can wear it on a daily basis. While you are on your weight-loss journey, you can put on your waist trainer and go out and about, and no one will know that you are wearing a waist trainer. Waist training is the best when you want to lose weight or when you want to improve your curves.