Parents who lived off canteen food and takeaways while keeping a vigil over their premature twins in hospital reveal how they lost NINE stone between them in just one year

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Parents who piled on the pounds while keeping a vigil over their premature twins in hospital reveal how they have lost an incredible 9st between them. 

Laura and Daniel Perkins, of Nottingham, spent three months eating takeaways and hospital canteen food as their newborns Harper and Hunter fought for their lives in a neonatal unit after they were born at 28 weeks, weighing just 1lbs 1oz and 2lb 14oz.

Mr and Mrs Perkins were so focused on their babies that they didn't notice their waistlines slowly expanding. 

Property developer Daniel, 41, piled on 3st and engineer Laura, 39, was 6st heavier than her pre-pregnancy weight by the time they took the twins home. 

Before and after: New father Daniel Perkins, 41, a property developer, put on 3st (as seen left) while caring for his premature twins Harper and Hunter. He has since lost 4st (right today)

Before and after: Laura, 39, was 6st heavier than at the start of her pregnancy by the time they finally took the twins home (left). She has since shed 5st and has dropped five dress sizes 

The pair decided they needed to be the best parents they could be to their new children - and set to work shedding the pounds while parenting two newborns. 

Incredibly, just a year on, Laura has shed 5st and dropped five dress sizes while Daniel has lost 4st and has regained his pre-baby abs. 

Laura said: 'The twins spent 60 days in the neonatal unit, we stayed by their side for the whole time and lived off food from the hospital vending machines, canteen or takeaways such as McDonald's and Indian curries.

'When they arrived so early, we were worried sick, it was a very traumatic three months and food was our comfort.

Harper (right) and Hunter (left) fought for their lives in a neonatal unit after they were born at 28 weeks, weighing just 1lbs 1oz and 2lb 14oz

Laura, 39 and Dan Perkins, 41 with twins Hunter and Harper in hospital. The parents relied on takeaways and hospital canteen food to keep them going as they watched over their twins

Engineer Laura gained 6st while worrying about her twins, pictured before the weight loss

The couple, pictured before the weight loss, said they hardly noticed their weight creeping up

'We weren't thinking about our health or weight, our main priority was the twins so it wasn't until we actually got to take them home, we realised how fat we had got.'

She continued: ' Before getting pregnant, I was 10st 4lb and when the twins came home, I was 16 stone.

'Dan's six pack had disappeared, he stopped going to the gym whilst we were in the hospital and went from a fit 12 stone to 15.'

The couple, who fell pregnant following one round of NHS-funded IVF, joined the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan when the twins were 12 weeks old and found the pounds soon falling away.  

When Hunter (right) and Harper (left) were 12 weeks old, the parents signed up to a weight loss programme and soon saw the pounds drop off 

  Laura before she was pregnant, left, and the new mother while she was gaining weight, right

Laura and Dan with twins Hunter (right) and Harper (left). The parents say they have never felt better

'With around 20 nappy changes and continuous feeds, grabbing one of their replacement meal milkshakes or ready meals was great for me and Daniel,' Laura continued. 

'We didn't need to do any strenuous exercise to notice the results, it was amazing and our before and afters show how well it works.' 

Now, 12 months on, their twins, Hunter and Harper, 13 months, are thriving and have just celebrating their first birthday. 

The couple are feeling healthier than ever - Laura is down five dresses weighing 11 stone and Daniel has retrieved his abs. 

Laura added: 'We truly owe our happiness to the diet; we believe our beautiful babies are a result of weightloss and we are now fit enough to run around after our energetic twins.'