Watch Daphne Oz Talks Body Image, Motherhood, and Balancing Relationships with Life at The Chew | The Making of Me

(mood music)

I would describe myself as someone

who is generally a perfectionist,

but there are moments where I let myself be okay

that it's not perfect,

because the more you fixate on that,

the less the world is going to give it to you

in that perfect little present that you wanted it to be in.

(audience applause)

People don't remember that my dad's first appearance

on Oprah happened when I was already graduating high school.

So, I didn't really grow up with Dr. Oz,

I grew up with Dr. Oz

and he was just a cardiothoracic surgeon,

excellent at his work,

but very much as anonymous as any other doctor.

I obviously grew up in a very health-conscious family,

but it never felt like it was being forced on us as kids.

My parents really lived that lifestyle, very authentically.

It's something that's important to them.

That said, it was pretty weird being like, the heavy girl,

in this super fit family.

I was 180 pounds when I was 17,

which is a good 30 to 40 pounds overweight.

I went to prom with my best friend, who was a girl,

like you know not romantically,

but like we went together because I didn't have a date.

I think the moment that I realized

that I really had to make a lifestyle change,

and a choice for myself,

I was putting together my senior page,

where you sort of commemorate your childhood

and life experiences,

and I realized I'd only picked pictures of myself

before the age of seven.

What that meant to me is I was ashamed of myself,

and I thought this can't be how I start

the next phase of my life.

(mood music)

When I got to college, and wrote The Dorm Room Diet,

and realized I could create a healthy lifestyle plan

that really worked, that wasn't about deprivation.

It was about everything in moderation

and really about making making smart choices

and smart indulgences.

I didn't do it quickly.

I mean, I lost 30 pounds over four years

and certainly, working on a food show,

has given me plenty of opportunity

to practice what I preach.

(laughs) Thank you.

This is my job.

Hot damn.

That's delicious.

These are raw, these have not been blanched,

but if you're doing a bigger potato,

you might wanna just drop these in some boiling water,

cook them through a little bit.

In my perfect world, if I could have created my perfect job,

the two would have been it.

What I really recently is I've made a career,

out of turning what I originally

thought was a huge struggle,

and this huge cross to bear,

into a success.

Into something that I not only could overcome,

and learn huge lessons for my own life through,

but also share what I learned with people around me.

And everyone's really benefiting from that shared dialogue.

I'm doing this recipe,

because it is delicious enough that it's worth it.

Stick around.

We'll be right back!

(audience applause)

Becoming pregnant was one of the first moments

where I felt no body consciousness whatsoever.

I felt incredibly powerful, like a goddess,

and then you give birth,

and in your...

Warped perception you're suddenly like,

okay great, I'll go back to my pre-baby body,

and that does not happen.

For me, I was exactly right back where I was at 17,

before I'd lost the weight.

And, it's a lot harder to lose now,

and, more importantly than that,

it's not my number one priority.

I'm thinking about my daughter all the time,

and that's what's kind of interesting,

as a mom coming back to work,

you make trade-offs.

If you're an A in your work today,

maybe you're a B- in your motherhood,

maybe you're a C+ in your wifehood.

And the whole thing is every day

is just calibrating back and forth.

There's 24 hours in the day for all of us.

And, you make those trade-offs,

and you do what works for your family,

and what works for you and makes you happy.

Daphne, rumor has it that you

have a little special present?

I think it's time for me to bring out the love of my life.

Philomena is here!

Let's have her come on out!

(audience applause)

There's no book of instructions,

there's noone to tell you like this is the right way,

but you get more comfortable with the idea

that being happy and loving each other

and being a part of like a great family unit,

is the most important thing.

And that, frankly, perfection is overrated,

and it's about doing little things a little bit better,

day by day.

(mood music)