These belts are just cool, you can shorten them if you lose weight, you can take one size larger than you need. The only problem I had was that I had to wrap about two layers of tape around the edge to get it holding properly when I put it in the clamp. I don't like that the buckle itself is very rough on the back if you are a tall person and if you press it with your belly weight it will tear your stomach if you are not careful. I wish they could do something about it, but I have no idea what they could actually do. I'm 6'5" and 375 pounds, so I probably put more pressure on my belt buckle than most normal people. That's probably also why I have to use duct tape. Hitting those little teeth on the band itself to hold it in place puts a lot of pressure and that helps hold it in place so it doesn't end up loosening.