How Soleil Moon Frye Lost 40 Pounds

— -- For the first time in years, Soleil Moon Frye will be sporting a bikini this summer.

The "Punky Brewster" star lost an amazing 40 pounds and is having the time of her life.

"I really believe in feeling like the best version of me now," said Frye, a Nutrisystem ambassador. "I’m not trying to be my 20-something self."

Nonetheless, the 38-year-old mother of three is slipping into some of her clothes she hasn't worn since she started having kids 10 years ago.

It was four months after the birth of her third child, son Lyric, that Frye knew she had to do something.

"I think four times in one week people were asking, 'When are you due?'" she said.

So she turned to her friend Melissa Joan Hart, a fellow mother of three and Nutrisystem ambassador, for help.

With Nutrisystem's prepared meals, Frye could eat with her family, including husband Jason Goldberg and daughters Poet, 9 and Jagger, 7.

"We're a family, we eat together," Frye said. "I'm losing weight the healthy way. I need to lead by example. I'm not going to starve myself in front of my kids."

She said she could also indulge her occasional sweet tooth with Nutrisystem's desserts.

"I've always been a big fan of sweets," said Frye. "Who wants to give that up when dieting? Not me! That's another reason why Nutrisystem worked so well. I didn't have to give up dessert!"

Now, she's hoping to inspire other moms.

"For me, I just want to feel great. But carrying the extra pounds started to weigh me down –- literally," Frye said. "I want to encourage moms to feel good about themselves. I think it's important to empower ourselves. We have kids and we love our kids. But we still have ourselves. And I want to feel like the best version of myself."