I actually never had a problem with my weight until I was in college. When I was in high school I was this skinny little thing. People made comments about how tiny I was, and I didn't mind. I liked being thin. I think I weighed under 115 pounds, all the way through high school. Wow, I still can't believe I was that small.

When I was in college though, I noticed things starting to change. I made the freshman 15, and then some! I wasn't gaining huge amounts of weight or anything, but I was getting bigger. I noticed I had to change my eating habits a little to keep myself from gaining more weight. It helped a little, but I still didn't exercise much and I was still gaining weight.

I met my husband in college, and he's always been a great help and support. But when I had my first child, all my weight-loss plans went right out the window! I gained a lot of weight through my pregnancy, and I couldn't get rid of it afterwards. I mean, who has time? I was trying to take care of a baby, I didn't have the time or energy to work on myself. My kids are now 10 and 12, and I have a little more time to myself. So I decided a while back to finally do something for me.

I'd heard a lot about Nutrisystem diet program from friends - some who used it, and some who know people that used it. I didn't think I'd do something like that, but it looked like everyone that was using it was experiencing at least some kind of success. I mean, it's not a magical program that makes you thin, I've never believed in shortcuts to success - but it looked like it could be that little bit of help I needed to make the most of my time and energy in dieting and exercise. I still had to do a lot of things with my kids, so I really needed to have a plan for using my time wisely.

Eating right wasn't easy... but I could do it. I always made sure my kids ate well, but I sometimes wasn't as good with my own diet. I just had to make sure I got the right things, in the right quantities. I talked to my doctor about what kinds of foods I should eat and in what quantities in order to get the right nutrition without gaining more weight (that would be the last thing I needed). In the beginning I was having problems, I just didn't feel satisfied by the food. But a short while after beginning the Nutrisystem program regimen, I noticed my appetite going way down and it kicked me right into gear. I was excited about trying to lose weight! I also talked to friends who knew a lot of good recipes for the kinds of foods I was eating, and that was really helpful, because all of a sudden I was looking forward to meals because I had a chance to put something interesting together that tasted pretty good and filled me up.

The real challenge was exercise. I've suffered from fatigue for a long time, I think it may have begun around the same time that I had children. I just couldn't get myself out of the house. So, I came up with the idea of getting my children to actually help me out. I got them to make me play with them outside, and most importantly I got them to make sure I did my exercises. It really is hard to say no to them! The boys have helped me lose over 45 pounds in just 5 months. I am really hopeful about where I'm going with my diet and exercise, I'm well on my way to reaching my goal weight already. Thank you Nutrisystem.