Am I the only person who gains weight in the summer?

Not only does my appetite seem to increase with all the summer goodies, but all three of my kids have summer birthdays (my fault), which means I'm constantly tempted by endless treats. On top of that, my husband is a teacher, so we all have our summer off.

That means in addition to finding food for a family of five that everybody likes (we eat A LOT of mac'n'cheese), I'm gorging myself with chips and cupcakes at neighborhood picnics, family cookouts, and countless pool parties.

Now that it's finally "Back to School" season, I'm about to be free! For the past few years, I've been putting on weight, and every attempt to lose it has seemed to fail. I hate calorie counting or saying goodbye to carbs, so I'm cycling between the same three articles of clothing. And don't even get me started about preparing meals. I don't even remember how to cook a healthy meal in a normal portion for just me. So, I decided to sign up for Nutrisystem, a healthy eating program that teaches you about the principles of portion control.

For years, I've been devouring whatever is in front of me, so I needed to retrain my mind. That's how Nutrisystem works: They send pre-packaged individual portion meals that you heat up and eat. I considered a number of weight loss programs, but Nutrisystem advocates eating six times a day, so you don't go hungry.

Before my food arrived, I finished the last ice pop in the freezer, so I had plenty of room and was ready to go. For my first dinner, when all three kids were at sports practice or tutoring, I heated up a Chicken & Bacon Ranch Pizza. It was so yummy! And what other diet lets you eat pizza?

Nutrisystem doesn't cut out any food groups, so I can eat pasta, bread, ice cream, and even mac'n'cheese! The difference is that my meals have higher fiber content and each serving is perfectly portioned, so I'm giving my body what it wants and not overfilling it.

Also, exercise isn't a required part of the plan. You can work out if you want, but I personally don't have the time, and with Nutrisystem, I can hit my goals without putting in the extra hours at the gym.

After two weeks, I fit into my favorite black cocktail dress and my beat-up old jeans. I was feeling great! Before Nutrisystem, I spent every summer party mindlessly eating out of habit. I don't even like cake that much!

Eating six times a day has been life-changing. I'm at a point where some of my meals are from Nutrisystem, and some are made at home or eaten at restaurants with my family. When all five of us are together, I have no shame in making it a restaurant night so I don't have to cook. I'm armed with more knowledge about what to eat that will sustain me, so I stick to my healthy lifestyle and won't eat junk later.

Focusing on myself is the best thing I did in years. Nutrisystem has trained me to know when I'm full and avoid overeating. I was able to lose weight, and I'm confident for the first time ever that this isn't fleeting. And best of all, I love all the energy I have so that I can be the best mom possible for my kids.

UPDATE: The awesome folks at Nutrisystem are extending a special offer to our readers. Follow this link get TWO months for the price of a ONE-time delivery with any new 4-week auto-delivery plan!

This content is sponsored by Nutrisystem.