OK so I know I am certainly not the first woman to struggle with her post pregnancy body, but I just wanted to vent a little bit here as it seems quite unfair to me at the moment. Most of you would remember that my pregnancy was brutal at the beginning throwing up for months many times a day.. Result - well I lost 30 pounds in the first 4 months of prenancy and in doing so really only got to my pre pregnancy weight about 2 weeks before the girls came 10 weeks early. What that means is I really was only a couple pounds heavier pregnant with twins... WOW that sounds so wonderful doesn't it??? Well what has happened after having the babies is that my body was in some type of starvation mode and now that I am able to eat and keep food down I am putting weight on. ARGH.. SOOOO frustrating to be post babies and know I should be loosing baby weight but am going in the other direction because my body is storing it up in case what happened, happens again.
SO, my questions are
1. Did anything like this happen to any of you and how did you deal with it???
2. What did you use for motivation to get you moving and try to get your body back??
3. Any favourite exercises to help?
4. Favourite healthy snack perhaps with some flavour?
The pool is open so I am going to try to get into it for some laps like I have a couple of times this past week.. Swimming is amazing exercise as I have discovered. Finding time is the hard part with twins.. Plus I am feeling like I am constantly hungry as I am "nursing" two babies and I am suppose to take in an extra 1000 calories a day to produce enough...
So maybe I am just needing to vent, but I think I am looking more for advice and support. I get so frustrated some days because my clothes don't fit right and nothing seems to fit across the chest... LIKE NOTHING...I know its only been 12 weeks since the twins were taken out and then I had to recover from the C-section and then I spent most of my time at the NICU and then we moved...but it is summer and we have a pool, and I almost cried getting dressed this morning...
HELP PLEASE!!
7 comments:
What's hard (I've found & you must have it doubly so) is that I'm still tired a lot... something about getting sleep in 2 hour blocks... not quite the same... And the meds I'm on to up my milk production make me drowsy (not too much, but enough to make me less motivated)
Here's what helps for me...
*A super supportive husband who encourages me to use the elliptical (in the basement, so I don't really have an excuse) & even goes for evening walks with me to make sure I get some exercise in each day.
*A specific goal... "I'm going to fit into these jeans by this date", etc.
*You can eat lots of food, as long as you make the right choices of food. We do our grocery shopping together sometimes & try really hard to only buy healthy things... that way, if there's no junk in the house, you can't eat it. But one of my fave "treats" is Nutella on a slice of whole grain bread...YUM.
*Just trying to accept that it will take time. It's going to be an even longer road for me, because I want to lose even more weight than I gained with pregnancy... so it'll be a long journey. But I'm trying to accept myself as I am & be happy with my body every step of the way (even though it is SOOOO depressing that only a few things fit.)
So good luck... maybe we can write to one another & motivate one another.
p.s. I'll be visiting the Maritimes in Oct & would love to meet your little ones (and your husband too, of course!)
I'm definitely not the one to be giving advice!! I gained about 40 pounds (YIKES!), but 30 of those came off in the first 2 or 3 weeks. That last 10 pounds isn't budging at all right now, although I'm sure it's my fault considering the way I eat. I REALLY miss the gym and I'm planning on going back when Abbi is 6 months old. I do workout dvd's at home right now, but I don't feel like it is the same. I laugh at myself because when I was pregnant, I told myself I'd give myself 6 months to get the pregnancy weight off, thinking that was a long time. Now I only have about a month and a half until the 6 month mark and I still have 10 pounds to lose!
Oh Honey, i'm so sorry. that is really tough. First off, you are beautiful so that's a good thing, hee hee...and I mean Drop dead gorgeous kind of beautiful.
I've been doing Tony Horton's 10Minute trainer. anyone can find 10minutes a day and that is what I love.
I have aprivate blog called http://beachbodyquest.blogspot.com that I can invite you to if you want? there are a bunch of us on there that use it to check in, be accountable and movtivate each other. I run with 3 other girls too and that also helps.
come join us on the blog, send me an email with your email address and i'll send you an invite.
xo
nicolewag@gmail.com
xo
Oh girl, you're not alone!!! Your emotions are still high right now, and it certainly doesn't help to have proof in the mirror. I have been there. I did the South Beach Diet after my first, which jump started my weight loss in the beginning and then I just didn't worry anymore and things seemed to even out. (Although I wasn't nursing with my first so I didn't have to account for getting extra calories).
I can totally relate to crying getting dressed, too. It is hard and depressing after having a baby, but it gets better. You're too hard on yourself! YOu have to eat to give your babies nutrients and you can't wear yourself out with exercise, especially when your hands are full with taking care of babies all day. Give yourself time and in the meantime, buy something new that does fit(even if it's a bigger size than normal, it will make you feel like something fits and you look cute in it) and feel good about being the best mom you can be to your sweet little girls. That is what is really important.
You are aware and are active and that is great! (Apples and PB are my favorite snack when I am nursing, BTW). This too will pass and you'll be back to normal in no time. I swear every new mom goes through this (unless you're a rare few that looks exactly the way you were before you got pregnant minutes after you give birth. I do know one girl like that. MAKES ME MAD!!). Flaunt what you've got! :)
Honestly the exact same thing happened to me. I didn't gain too much weight while I was pregnant and at first after he was born it looked as though I was losing quickly but then I noticed I started to gain and I still have 20 lbs to lose (I know that's not encouraging as my son is almost 2 but I have adrenal fatigue...that's a whole other story)
It's still very early for you so there is hope quickly around the corner. I didn't realize what was going on...that I was gaining weight until I saw pictures...and then I hit the scales. So you're on the ball! (at first when I wrote ball right there I said balls...hee hee sorry it was just funny!)
I actually did Weight Watchers just to kick start me. I still try to do it off an on but I have issues living up North and food...not much fresh food variety.
Weight Watchers takes into consideration you breast-feeding and adjusts accordingly. The thing that I liked the most about it was that healthy foods are either free in points or really low...so I ate a lot healthier. There's even low point sweet treats for those cravings. Also...exercise can help you gain more points if you need it. I'd just check it out and see if it's for you. I did it online and it helps you find the points online and it's pretty easy to use.
I'd try to do just little bits of activity each day...go for walks, swim, or do yoga. You're tired so you don't want to go too crazy or you'll be even more tired so then you'll crave sugar and fat to give you a quick fix.
The other thing I did on WW (which I lost 14 pounds in about 3 months) was I would get the 100 chocolate bars and treats and if I ate good all day I could have a treat at the end of the day.
My fave healthy snack is baby carrots and hummus!
Don't be too hard on yourself. Try to work on one thing grapes instead of a treat.
I do feel your pain.
Oh one more thing...look into 10 minute trainer by tony horton. You have two babies...maybe you just need something quick and effective!
Ok last thing I promise! If you don't like the idea of weight watchers...go to www.bodyforlife.com the program is free and it's really easy.
Ok...I'm crazy and done.
I was going to leave you my advice, but all you friends said what I would say (smart girls). Oh here you go anyway. I did WW after my second and have been a lifetime(?) member since, although I never go to meetings. It is just an easy way for me to know my milk wasn't going to dry up and if I stuck to it I would loose. Works ever time, just a little slower this time. I have 15 to go. I reward myself with a pair of cute jeans when I finally get there. I Feel for you though I have only a couple outfits that look OK :(
Hi Jenny,
I researched for premies and found your blog. I had a premie about 8 years ago...3 1/2 lbs when he was born and stayed in the hospital for a couple of months. My second was a term baby. I am older so the weight came off a little slower. And I finally joined Jenny Craig about 6 months ago and I weight now less than before I had my first child.
Anyway, I didn't get on your blog to talk about myself. I wanted to find other parents who went through the same things that I went through with a premie baby. And you had 2!!
Sounds like things are going well. Just take your time and take care of yourself. Like some of the other ladies said, it takes time. Realize that you don't have to eat as much as you were during your pregnancy. I actually gained about 60 pounds with both of my kids. I had my first one at 40, though. But I'm down to almost 125 lbs now.
You can get the weight off. You're still so young. It just takes a little time and if you're still nursing, you still need the nutrition and than makes it hard to get all the weight off. Just eat a little smaller portions that you usually do. Don't starve yourself or do without that brownie or piece of candy if you want it but don't go back for a second brownie or another piece of candy. Get my driff? That was my problem.
I enjoy following your blog. Your girls are adorable. Good luck and keep us posted.
Linda R. in Missouri
http://runnebaum4.blogspot.com
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