This past year I have taken up running for my health and quickly realized I needed compression gear to help stabilize my joints. I did some shopping around and decided to invest in this brand of leggings. I tried on a few sets of these leggings before settling on the high waisted size M leggings with pockets.I am a comfortable size 10 pants at Torrid, and have been losing weight. According to my measurements, I started with a size L in the regular high waisted leggings. When I put those on, they felt just like putting on normal leggings. I did not feel much compression so I reordered in a size M. This gave me a decent amount of compression - though I think I'd like even more, honestly. But I know that my waist will probably not be comfortable in a size S. I carry my weight in my belly primarily, so it is what it is.I wear a hip brace when I run to stabilize my si joints and found I need to wear it underneath the leggings so it will stay in place. When I did this on the regular high waisted leggings, the waist kept rolling down and becoming a nuisance during my run. So, I ended up making another exchange and getting the super high waisted leggings in size M. These are perfect. It was the pair I originally wanted to order, but I was trying to find the lowest price and so that was partly why I was trying out the previous pairs. It ended up being one of those things where it really is just worth it to pay the extra $$ to get a comfortable, well-fitting pair of leggings that will stay up and secure while running.