With a beach holiday on the horizon - demanding the obligatory ‘bikini ready’ stomach - the desire for a trimmer tum lay heavily on my mind.
Unfortunately, it didn’t lay quite as heavily as my desire to keep eating carbs.
I wondered if there was a way to target stomach fat specifically for results in a short amount of time, alongside my usual exercise.
I heard about Technoshape – a piece of sculpting stomach technology that promises to help you lose centimetres from the waist while toning up - and thought it sounded like the answer.
Their website explains TechnoShape encourages blood circulation in this hard-to-reach area via a "patented Pressure Pause Therapy to achieve accelerated, targeted fat-burning action".
Popular in spas in the Middle East, Technoshape has been picked up by UK celebrities including Lisa Snowdon, Millie Mackintosh, Gabriella Ellis, Sinitta and Peter Andre reportedly has one in his home.
Brimming with enthusiasm for a tough workout I arrived at NKD Ambition studio to get strapped up.
A large blue air-pocketed band – similar in appearance to the type worn by heavyweight boxing champions – was fastened securely around my stomach.
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I climbed onto the treadmill, where two pumps were attached to the front of the band (meaning you can’t pull your top down to disguise it) and expected to soon be running for 40 minutes.
When I heard I only had to walk at a face past on a gentle gradient I was embarrassingly happy. Technoshape only requires gentle exercise to achieve results – great for those who are averse to a jog.
However, it turns out walking on a treadmill for 40 minutes isn’t that interesting so I began to bring a book along instead of starring out of the same window.
I became fond of the blue band, which at first feels a little strange as it inflates and deflates on your stomach. Just like a hug on a summer’s day, it makes your stomach sweat but I was assured that’s all part of the centimeter lose deal.
A poster in front of me featured a woman who claimed to have lost 29 centimetres in 18 sessions. Could I really get anywhere close to that?
I only tried Technoshape for six sessions but the results shocked me...
I lost 2.3cm from my waist and 2.5cm from my stomach. BUT I gained 2.4cm on my hips.
My trainer explained the gain on my hips could be from building up the muscle on my legs with the uphill walks, dismissing my explanation that the Technoshape had just shifted the fat downwards.
She also reasoned that the product is intended for use by people who carry their weight on their stomachs – apples if you will – rather than pear shapes like me.
Although I'm sceptical it will give you a six-pack – you need to build up muscles for that – Technoshape did seem to tone and slim my stomach and if you’re not easily bored it is certainly an option worth trying to shift that stubborn stomach fat.
NKDAmbition charges £550 for 12 sessions of TechnoShape and if you want to buy the equipment for your home you will need a hefty £15,500.