I was always very athletic growing up. As the oldest of 3 girls, I became the son my dad never had. In high school I played varsity soccer and got very involved with swimming. I trained every day after school, 3 days a week in the morning before school and Saturdays as well. I was fortunate enough to attend college on a swimming scholarship. The same type of training regimen continued in college, except we trained intensely in the pool and the weight room 10 times a week (24 hours total). I was extremely competitive and athletic and felt like I was on top of the world. Click - To View The Entire System Now

Hi, I'm Jen ("Jenny8675309" on the bulletin boards). I lost 66 pounds* on NutriSystem Advanced, and this is my weight-loss success story.

When my swimming career ended, I entered the "real world" as a physical therapist. I found that my metabolism was thrown for a serious curve at that time; plus, I didn't have time to work out 5 hours a day any more. I promptly put on 15 pounds.

Marriage and children soon followed. I married my college sweetheart Jade and we had 3 beautiful children. With each pregnancy, I put on 30-50 pounds and never lost more than 20. My babies were worth every pound and my husband constantly assured me that I was beautiful, but I wasn't feeling beautiful at all any more. I was tipping the scales at over 200 pounds. And being a physical therapist requires a certain amount of strength and stamina. At age 34, I was already starting to have aches and pains in my joints from the extra weight burden I carried. How was I supposed to lift other people and teach them how to regain mobility when I was struggling to support my own weight?

One day, I caught an unexpected glimpse of my reflection in a mirror. That person, the one who everyone else saw, was not me! To go from one extreme to the other, from college athlete to overweight mom, was an incredible bash to my self-esteem. Even though I tried to put up a strong front, I modified all aspects of my life so I could avoid painful situations. I once enjoyed swimming, biking, fishing, going to the park, and wearing fun outfits, but I wouldn't participate in any of them because of my humiliation. I would also purposely dodge friends who I hadn't seen in years because I didn't want my weight gain to be a topic of their conversation. My obsession with my weight occupied every day of my life and played a role in just about everything I was involved in. I was truly a prisoner in my own body and it was shattering my spirit; I was feeling totally defeated. I desperately needed to find myself again.  Click - To View The Entire System Now

After ten years of having this weight problem, I remember thinking to myself that not even my own children had ever seen me on the outside as the person I really was on the inside. I wanted to feel good about myself again. I always told myself that "one day" I would take off the weight. Maybe I was afraid of failure, even though I felt like I was already there. I guess, in a way, I thought it was better to fail without trying than to put forth an effort and not succeed. All of a sudden I realized I had become a quitter—and that's not who I am.

Plus, I had found out the hard way that, like it or not, we are judged by our appearances. Because of my weight struggles, I became painfully aware that people treat you differently when you are overweight. I went from being an overachiever and athletic standout to the invisible woman. I really thought at times that maybe I must be unlikable because I didn't get nearly the attention that I used to.  Click - To View The Entire System Now

At least not the good kind. This was never truer than when, several months ago, my 8-year-old son Blake approached me about a secret he had been keeping to himself since the beginning of the school year. Blake told me that the class bully had been using me to make fun of him—that this kid was going around the school saying Blake had the fattest, ugliest mom in the world. I know kids can be cruel but that really hurt. I felt horrible that my son endured such cruelty because of my weight and worse, to spare my feelings, he kept it to himself. It broke my heart but made my determination to succeed even more grounded.

In January of 2006, I made a resolution to change my life forever. I decided that I had had enough and I wasn't going to deal with the weight issue another day of my life. I had tried dieting in the past, with no success. Counting points and attending meetings did not work for me; my schedule is too busy to commit to a program that revolves around attending meetings and stopping to count points each day. I started looking into my options and saw a NutriSystem diet commercial. I followed up and decided to check out their website. I viewed the success stories and the member profiles of the men and women who had been successful on program. I was literally brought to tears to see some of the transformations and my heart celebrated with each and every one of them. I started the NutriSystem review program on January 25th, 2006—I call that day "the first day of the rest of my life."  Click - To View The Entire System Now

I appreciate that the program is easy and convenient to follow and perfect for busy people like me. I also always felt like I had unlimited access to support through the NutriSystem counselors. Plus, I love the online community. From personal experience, I can tell you that you are much more likely to succeed when you have a team with a common goal all behind you and cheering you on—so it was vital that I had access to the online community 24/7. I also loved the incentives the program provides (the Daily Dose, newsletters, the reward bears). But my favorite part, without a doubt, is the opportunity NutriSystem has given me to share my weight loss success with others. I hope that I can inspire people to change their lives forever the same way I was inspired less than a year ago!

I know my family and friends are all very proud of me. Having my 3 children look at me with eyes that say, "We're proud of you, Mommy" is the greatest reward possible! (Giving my husband back the girl he married is a very close second.) In fact, a family moment made me realize just how far I'd come. A few months ago, I stepped on the scale. My 5-year-old daughter Chandler asked me to hold her and see what we weighed together. Immediately, my two-year-old son Lane wanted to be included and chimed in, "Me too, Mommy!" As I stood on the scale with one child in each arm, I looked down to discover that the three of us together weighed less than I did alone just 6 months earlier!

Of course, I always get asked: Do you swim again? Yes! For the first time in 10 years, I feel comfortable enough to get back in my swimsuit. I don't work out competitively, but find cannonballs and Marco Polo with my kids to be more up my alley these days. With enough coaxing, I can even sometimes be convinced to do a lap or two of butterfly (my best stroke), just to make sure I've still got it in me.  Click - To View The Entire System Now

I'll never forget where I've been, which is why I'll never go back. I have an incredible empathy for people who are overweight since I have been there and truly know what they are going through. I want to serve as an inspiration to others who struggle with weight and as a testament that losing it is possible and within reach. You just have to make up your mind and go for it!

Jen’s bimonthly progress of her weight loss, which she says she tracked
visually to "appreciate my own transformation."

If I can do it, you can do it. My body was accustomed to intense training, so I never thought I would be able to achieve true success in weight loss without dedicating major hours (that I didn't have) to hardcore training. But I did, just by following the NutriSystem meal plan. I also made a point of walking instead of riding, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and playing with my kids instead of watching them. Man NutriSystem works! In 6 months' time, I lost over 60 pounds* and went from a size 18-20 to a size 4-6. All I did was stick to the plan.

Now that I have reached my goal weight, I am always getting approached and complimented by the people around me because of the weight loss. I am not going to run and hide any more. I am proud of what I've accomplished. When people say, "Look at the new you," I have to laugh and think to myself, "No, this is the old me!" And inside, my heart sings, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, I'm free at last!"

—Jen