Heather Campbell, Princess Mommy
Latest posts by Heather Campbell, Princess Mommy (see all)
- A Day in the Life of the Princess Family: What We Eat - May 17, 2013
- Taking Family Vacations: Kids and Tourism - May 1, 2013
- A Newbie’s Cloth Diaper Journey: The Whole Truth - April 16, 2013
I think it’s safe to say that a common thing on many twin moms’ minds is weight loss. I can’t imagine why. It’s not like we spent 270 days eating for three. We were in so much pain that staying active or doing exercise WHILE pregnant was a joke. Not to mention those of us who were on strict bed rest and our idea of exercise was standing while we showered instead of sitting. *Cough, cough* Me.
Well your little ones are here now and let’s face it, your body just doesn’t look quite like it used to. You lost A LOT of weight from childbirth and breastfeeding but what about the rest of those six million pounds that somehow just kept appearing despite the severe morning sickness, heartburn, loss of appetite, and countless trips to the bathroom?
Eight weeks post-partum I was given the go ahead to ease into working out. I was thrilled. I immediately downloaded some fitness apps on my phone and… Zzzzz. I. Had. No. Energy. My girls woke every three hours to eat. It took over an hour to feed them, change them, and get them back down. Then I had to pump. I slept in 90 minute chunks all night long. During the day I had the best of intentions but I had a three year old. She took one nap a day, rarely while her sisters were sleeping. The idea of “sleep when they are sleeping” went straight to hell.
Working out went on the backburner and stress eating became my present. My “only nine pounds to go” turned into 21. It took until my girls turned one to really get a grasp on life but here it is: learning to work out, go to the gym and live a healthy lifestyle.
- Make sure the timing is right. My daughters are still not sleeping through the night but they are on a consistent daily schedule. They nap well. They eat and go right back down, normally only once a night for about 20 minutes. I sleep in 4-6 hour chunks and feel rested. You have to get to a point where you feel like you’ve found your new normal. If you are constantly overwhelmed and tired as it is, you may be setting yourself up for disaster by adding more tasks to your daily to-do list.
- Find fun activities everyone will enjoy. During the spring, summer and fall, we pack up the jogging strollers for family runs. We take trips to the park or run around and use the swing set in our backyard. We walk to the library even walk to local restaurants. During colder temps we play indoors. Just Dance on our Wii is a family favorite. We do kid-friendly yoga videos, and other fitness favorites. (I really like the Nike Fitness Club app on the iPhone and Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred.) My three year old pretends to work out with me and the twins normally provide some resistance training for me by climbing on and over me while I work out. If working out is better for you masked as something else, head to the mall for some fast paced window shopping (Don’t bring your wallet!) or just turn the music up loud in the kitchen and shake your bottom while you cut up fresh fruit and veggies.
- Join a gym. Many offer free daycare services while you are taking a class or working out. This is a great social experience for your children while you get some alone time. Your local YMCA may also be an option for working out. If you are short on income, be sure to check into financial aid. If a gym membership is too costly, try the civic center in your community.
- Make a plan with your spouse. Print out a free calendar and write down who is going to the gym on which day. Use specific times. Keep things in mind like work schedule, taking turns with bedtime, dinner, cleanup, etc.
- Start slow. Maybe you worked out five days a week for 90 minutes each day before you got pregnant but just as your body looks differently now, it acts differently as well. Start with 30 minute workouts. Start with two days a week.
- Only eat what you would feel okay with giving your child. I find often times I cringe at the idea of giving my little ones sugary drinks like soda or Kool-aide but why am I drinking them myself? If I feel guilty giving my girls French fries and nuggets, why don’t I feel guilty eating them?
- Make a meal plan. You are more likely to eat healthy if you’ve taken the time to plan out what you’ll have. Without a plan, you are risking not having ingredients you need (meaning McDonald’s is for dinner instead of that homemade soup you planned) or worse having a craving for something unhealthy because you didn’t think ahead for that night that your husband is working late or the kids drive you nuts for eight straight hours.
Overall, just focus your energy on being healthy rather than counting calories, cutting foods you love or switching your morning up to not include coffee. You will still need your staples because let’s face it, there are a lot of dynamics involved with raising twins and 99% of them are stressful at some point.
How are you doing post-partum with your twins? Any tips to share with us? Leave a comment!
Heather Campbell, Princess Mommy
Latest posts by Heather Campbell, Princess Mommy (see all)
- A Day in the Life of the Princess Family: What We Eat - May 17, 2013
- Taking Family Vacations: Kids and Tourism - May 1, 2013
- A Newbie’s Cloth Diaper Journey: The Whole Truth - April 16, 2013
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