“I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to ‘get my body back’ after having a baby,” the chef, 39, captioned a Thursday, July 8, Instagram selfie. “I recently hit my pre-baby weight, but it really isn’t about the number on the scale. We spend nine months growing, expanding and having so many changes, then there’s childbirth, which, for me, was the easier part. What I was not at all prepared for was the postpartum recovery.”

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Not only was the West Virginia native “in quite a bit of pain for a solid six weeks,” but she took “much longer” to physically heal than she expected.

“I couldn’t exercise for a few months (not that I really had the time or energy for it anyway),” the Endless Summer Cookbook author explained in the social media upload. “I didn’t really care about eating my usual healthy foods, I would just grab something. As Iris got a little older and we got into more of a groove (i.e. when she finally started napping!!), I started to get back to myself. Exercise, my big salads, blow drying my hair! Now, I power walk every day with Iris in her stroller, I do postnatal and Pilates workouts. … I finally feel like my body is back, not only because of the number on the scale, but I feel like I am back to feeling strong and healthy.”

The former Top Chef host noted that her body isn’t “100 percent” where she was before conceiving the little one, concluding, “My pants are two sizes bigger and they very well might stay that way, which is fine. I want to continue to work on my overall wellness, but I’m headed in the right direction.”

Lee and her husband, Ryan Biegel, welcomed their baby girl in September 2020 after previously struggling with fertility.

“Welcome, baby Iris Marion Biegel,” the Comfort Table author captioned hospital photos with the newborn at the time. “Our hearts are so full.”

The Kitchen cohost gushed about her new role on Mother’s Day in May, writing via Instagram: “I love this baby girl like crazy. Since becoming a mom, I’ve found a whole new respect for my mom. I now know just how much she loves me.”

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Riley Cardoza