Weight loss after your twin pregnancy

Weight loss after your twin pregnancy

Weight loss is not usually the first thing on your mind after you have given birth to twins. But it will be in the near future and sometimes those numbers on the scale are downright scary !

Most women will gain anywhere from 40-80 lbs during their twin pregnancy , and unfortunately - not all of it magically disappears once the babies arrive. It's very natural to be missing your pre-pregnancy shape after all those months of carrying 2 babies, BUT it's important to take it easy and have realistic expectations. If you are reading books about a single pregnancy that tell you it will take you 4-6 weeks to zip up your favorite jeans again - don't count on it. Remember that it took you 8-9 months to gain the weight so be realistic in how long it may take you to lose it.

Weight loss is not usually the first thing on your mind after you have given birth to twins. But it will be in the near future and sometimes those numbers on the scale are downright scary ! Most women will gain anywhere from 40-80 lbs during their twin pregnancy , and unfortunately - not all of it magically disappears once the babies arrive. It's very natural to be missing your pre-pregnancy shape after all those months of carrying 2 babies, BUT it's important to take it easy and have realistic expectations. If you are reading books about a single pregnancy that tell you it will take you 4-6 weeks to zip up your favorite jeans again - don't count on it. Remember that it took you 8-9 months to gain the weight so be realistic in how long it may take you to lose it.

How quickly you are able to lose weight depends on a lot of things and is very individual , not all women gain or lose weight the same way. It will depend on how much weight you gained during the pregnancy, the way that you eat after the births, how active you are or are able to be, and how your metabolism reacts to the births and breastfeeding ( if you are). If it has always been difficult for you to lose weight in the past, it may continue to be difficult now but - you can look forward to losing the weight of the babies, their placentas, and the amniotic fluid immediately after giving birth ! You will also experience a reduction in fluids and blood volume over the next few weeks - having that extra water weight you've been carrying around feels fantastic ! I was so excited to see my ankles and feet return to their normal size!

Exercise after pregnancy is SO important to losing those post baby pounds.

Breastfeeding !

This is one of the fastest ways you'll see weight loss as well as significant shrinking of your uterus after giving birth. If you choose to breastfeed your multiples chances are that a lot of the pregnancy weight will disappear faster. Your body will be using any calories that you are eating to help produce the milk for your babies. It is also true that your body will tend to hang on to some of your fat stores in order to produce milk as well, so you won't be able to lose ALL that weight by breastfeeding alone. I lost more than 60lbs in the first 6 weeks nursing two babies - you could literally see me shrinking.

Great information on breastfeeding your twins here.

Your Post-Pregnancy Belly

I'm sure you're well aware that your twin pregnancy belly was bigger that most women who carried one baby. Try to remember that your belly may have peaked at 48-60 cm in diameter ! Now considering the size that your uterus and abdominal skin had to stretch to accommodate those two babies, most ( not all ) women end up with plenty of stretch marks. They are generally the result of tears that happen just under the surface of the skin as the skin expands usually looking reddish or brown. As they heal the tears form scar tissue and appear silvery , white or bluish as the skin shrinks. Sometimes the tearing can go into the muscles below the skin, causing the lower belly to make a pouch . This can't be corrected by diet and exercise alone and abdominal surgery may be a consideration in the future.

Another possible skin change in mothers of twins ( or more) is the extra skin you may find you are left with that hangs around your middle. The lengths to which your body stretched to make a comfortable home for the babies can't just jump back into it's pre-pregnancy shape overnight. Some mother's actually have handfuls of loose skin on their belly and others have the crinkly 'seersucker' or 'twin skin' especially after a period of rapid weight loss. Time is a wonderful healer for this although how long and how normal looking the skin winds up is different for every mother.

Exercising to get your body back

While you are trying to adapt to all of the changes of having twins, you may want to try to include some form of exercise to care for yourself ! It's never to late to start either, if your twins are older. Now - before you tell me you hate running and you can't touch your toes - remember that there are SO many ways to get exercise, whether you choose to work out at home, outside or at a gym. And with any exercise comes weight loss!

A good double stroller is probably the BEST investment you can make when it comes to your weight loss and having twins. You'll all benefit from being outside in the fresh air! Double strollers are expensive - so do some serious thinking about what you're looking for in one ( for indoor use, shopping, jogging, bumpy terrain - side by side or one in front etc. Check out some of our top picks!PopShops™ affiliate stores

weight loss through walking with a stroller

No time for weight loss ? Can't do a 30 minute work out ? How about dancing around the living room with your babies? Use the stairs in your home often. Wear a pedometer and get an idea of how much you are walking in a day. Aim for 10,000 steps a day - if you are way below that on an average day , try to increase it by 100 steps a day. Do what you enjoy - walking, swimming, bike riding , running on a treadmill, yoga , skipping rope ,whatever you like, just don't make a workout feel like work - make it fun. Don't think of it as ' I have to exercise - think of it as ' this is MY time to do something good for ME" It really helps if you just change your mindset. Make a point of getting out and walking with or without your babies . Fresh air and just getting OUT of the house can make you feel good. There are SO many DVD's out there now for every form of exercise that you can do right in the comfort and privacy of your own home if going out to the Y or the gym isn't for you. There are online workouts available as well.

No matter what type of exercise you choose you are going to get benefits that are not only physical but mental and emotional as well. Exercise helps with weight loss, helps you reduce stress, sleep better, and increases your immune system ! You'll actually feel LESS tired if you can find a way to fit in some exercise.

weight loss through yoga

Diet - using your food as fuel

Weight loss isn't all about exercising either ! Now chances are that during your pregnancy you ate whatever you wanted since you were growing two babies - and if you were nursing then you still needed to take in a lot of calories in order to produce lots of milk. This, for me, was a hard habit to break once I was no longer nursing. I had eaten like that for so long it had become a habit. And the 10-15lbs I still had hanging around needed to go ! So I started watching what I was eating and how much.

As a mother of twins who may have other children as well, what you eat and what you don't eat - or IF you don't eat can all affect your day - how much energy you have, how much patience and how strong and healthy you feel. Instead of just eating the leftovers from your kids plates, try to understand which foods will give you the most nutrients and energy with the least amount of calories ! Aim for lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, lean proteins, whole grains and try to stay away from the white stuff - flour, sugar - leaving out those 2 alone can create weight loss.

Consider a multi-vitamin to make sure you are getting enough of those super stress and fatigue fighting nutrients - iron, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E and all the B vitamins. How to fit this into your already hectic schedule ? When you go grocery shopping , shop around the edges of the store where all the freshest items are, rather than processed. Concentrate on whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, fish and poultry. Watch your portion sizes. And probably the biggest helper for weight loss ? Drinking pure water - at least 8 cups a day. This will help keep you energized, hydrated and flush away any bloating.

Make taking care of you a priority

When you feel better you look better, and when you look better ? You FEEL better. Weight loss is only part of it. Find something that makes you feel good and start doing it. Your body may never look like it did when you were in high school but that's ok - let that go and concentrate on creating the best you that you can be for your twins, your family and for yourself. Click here for more information on taking care of YOU !

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