Justin Stephens/Fitness Magazine

Since giving birth to her first child in February, Daphne Oz has learned first-hand how hard it is to shed the baby weight and says moms need to cut themselves some slack.

"There's a big gap between what people hear and how it actually is," "The Chew" co-host told the November/December 2014 issue of Fitness magazine. "Everyone needs to choose what works for them, and it's not fair to you to compare your progress to others. We have to reinforce that shedding pounds is a long, hard process."

The 28-year-old daughter of Dr. Mehmet Oz welcomed a daughter, Philomena, with her husband, John Jovanovic, in February. Immediately after giving birth, she said she was surprised to learn that she still looked pregnant.

"You still look six months pregnant once you're home from the hospital. Your body does not instantly bounce back," she told Fitness. "I don't own a scale, because it would make me neurotic, but I thought I knew where I'd be when I went for my first doctor appointment a few weeks after giving birth. I'd lost only 10 pounds!"

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Now, she said, she is in no rush to drop the baby weight.

"It's a priority, but it's one of many. I'm breast-feeding, so my priorities include eating to nourish my baby, gaining muscle tone and feeling good. It's about being back in charge of my body," she said. "The weight isn't pouring off, but I figure that it takes nine months to have a baby and it'll take at least that long for it to come off."

As for her workout routine as a new mom.

"I figure out how much time I have and adjust my routine to fit. Philomena loves being in the stroller or carrier, so that's how I'll get a walk in. I run about four miles three to four times a week, and I intersperse that with half-hour online workouts," she said.

To keep herself motivated, even when she's too tired to exercise, Oz said, "I put on my workout clothes, and I don't let myself think about it. Once I'm out for a run or doing a video, I'm on my way to finishing it. The 10 minutes between waking up and showing up are the most dangerous."