Help! Advice! Encouragement!

First take a deep breath and congratulate yourself for taking the first step towards a healthy lifestyle. You deserve it! Second, you have to reset your "food mind". We have been told all our lives that chips, pop, prepared foods etc.. are ok to eat. The truth is there is little to no nutritional value in most of the items in the middle of the grocery store. Think about what is around the perimeter> fruits, veggies, grains and proteins. Here are some simple rules to help you differentiate "good" and "bad" foods. A healthy diet consists of whole grains, lean proteins, a variety of fruits and veggies and water. The easiest way to start is to prepare meals yourself. Start to cook with smart balance or a healthy oil instead of butter or man made butter. Use honey as a sweetener instead of sugar. If you like FF try oven baked sweet potato FF. These little swaps will start the process of elimination. After a while you will start to recognize the good and bad foods quicker and easier. It can be fun for the family to figure out which foods are the most healthy and what they can do for your mind and body. Did you know that adding in some blueberries at breakfast will boost your child's brain power! Go ahead take control of what your family eats

couple of things: congrats on your decision, it WILL impact your life, and your kids' lives! on the walking thing- I also have a hard time with the hills, etc. I can tell you there are a couple of options that are free: your local schools may have a track, I have organized walking groups with friends and other moms, and met there at least on a weekly basis around 7pm or so in the summer time, or when it's still light outside at that time. There's also a walking group at the mall in the mornings, so you can check with your local mall about walking groups, I don't know if they are all free, but it's worth a shot- that gives you some flat stroller-friendly places to start. as for the recipes, the internet, and the library are GREAT resources, my MIL also "rents" DVDs from the library - so you can try different workout tapes as well. Living on a budget, I have also found Yard Sales, or Craigslist are great places to find cookbooks, and exercise equipment. start small, and work your way up. good luck!