Hi Jesssica---Congrats on your baby. Have fun. But don't worry alot about your weight. As another mom has stated, it took awhile to get where you are, it will take a while to return to 'normal'. What normal is will depend on your body. What are your LONG TERM goals? I have a suggestion to consider.
I am taking a series of wellness classes taught by a Naturopath who has her PhD in Nutrition. When it comes to body weight, we should want to think in terms of eating to optimize our health. Optimal health includes such things as weight management, a balanced immune system and disease prevention. The best way to do this is to select our foods that will support this goal. We need to eat a variety of foods, primarily from these 4 groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Use animal protein sparingly, more like a condiment or flavoring. Think of a chicken or steak salad, our family of 4 shares 2 medium sized chicken breasts, when we have them. Minimize or eliminate cows milk, go to www.strongbones.org to learn why my family, former milk lovers, no longer drinks cows milk. You can get more absorbable calcium from green leafy veggies like spinach, kale, bok choy and broccoli. Fewer calories from these foods as well.
The more fiber you eat, the less food you can eat. Choose nutrient dense foods which don't have very many calories in them. Your body will drop the weight automatically.
Since you are probably nursing, you'll just need to eat more fruits and veggies more often.
I have some great recipes and meal ideas, as well as research and articles for you to read. You will achieve more permanent weight loss if you just think about eating for health. Don't think about restricting any foods. Just be aware of what is food and what is a treat. Don't have treats in the house, then it is much easier to not eat them.
Please feel free to call me with any questions. I'd be glad to help. I do not charge for consultations. I just am very happy to help others achieve optimal health.
Talk to you soon. D. ###-###-####