Katie Lee Biegel Gets Candid About Postpartum Recovery as She Hits Her Pre-Baby Weight

Katie Lee Biegel is reflecting on her postpartum journey, sharing that she was "not at all prepared" for the recovery process.

On Thursday, the Food Network star, 39, opened up about her post-baby body and getting back to feeling herself after welcoming her first child, Iris Marion, with husband Ryan Biegel last September.

In a lengthy message posted to Instagram, Katie said she's been "thinking a lot about what it means to 'get my body back' after having a baby."

While the mom of one said she "recently hit my pre-baby weight," the star explained it "really isn't about the number on the scale."

"We spend 9 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," she shared. "I was in quite a bit of pain for a solid 6 weeks and it took me a much longer time to heal physically than I ever expected. I couldn't exercise for a few months (not that I really had the time or energy for it anyway). I didn't really care about eating my usual healthy foods, I would just grab something."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The It's Not Complicated author said she started to get "into more of a groove" when her daughter got a little older and when her little girl "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 on @obefitness, and I use my @ww app," she continued. "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."

"It takes time mommas…it's been 10 months for me," the new mom added. " I'm still not 100% where I was (my pants are 2 sizes bigger and they very well might stay that way, which is fine) and I want to continue to work on my overall wellness, but I'm headed in the right direction. 💪"

RELATED VIDEO: Katie Lee Biegel's Most Surprising Part of Mom Life Is So Relatable: 'All the Aches and Pains!'

Back in March, Katie appeared on an episode of PEOPLE in 10 where she said the most surprising thing about motherhood is "all the aches and pains."

"I didn't know that my body would hurt this much," she said with a laugh. "I always have a backache. But it's worth it!"

Despite those pains, Katie said, "I just love being a mom." She added, "I knew that I was gonna enjoy it, but I had no idea that I would this much. My favorite thing is getting her up in the morning, going in there and seeing her little face smiling. That's the very best."

Lee announced her daughter's arrival on Instagram last September. Sharing a photo snuggled up in bed, she revealed her baby girl's name and birth date in her caption: "Welcome, baby Iris Marion Biegel 💕 9.2.20 💕."