Gonna Give this a Try =)

Hi!

My name is Leslie (26) and I'm from Washington State.

I have never dieted a day in my life. My family has always been big, and I never knew any different than junk foods.

I'm tired of being the big girl and have decided it's time for a lifestyle change. I am excited about starting exercise, mostly because I don't like being out of breath when I walk my daughter to school.

Starting to eat healthy will be the biggest challenge for me. I am really going to need to some motivation to stay on track and learn new, healthy recipes.

I hope to make some new friends here and can't wait to see what the future will hold. =)

Hi Leslie!

Congrats on your decision to make a lifestyle change =) And good luck. I think you've come to the right place. CC is very encouraging and helpful.

Hello, welcome and glad to see that you're planning to eat more healthily and get exercise.  It's so imporant to start there and then calorie-counting is much more effective.

Healthy eating is going to benefit your whole family, as well as your weight.  And if your daughter sees that mummy takes regular exercise, she'll be more likely to do so herself.  So that's a great motivation.

The database includes a lot of healthy recipes.... My basic 'rules' is are to base meals around vegetables & grains, use a little less fat and treat meat as  a flavouring rather than a food in its own right.  Some of my own family-friendly healthy recipes you might like to try.

• Basic Tomato Sauce.... a good base for pasta dishes, pizza and many casseroles
• Beef Stew  ... change the vegetables around based on what's available
• Breaded Cod Fillets with Vegetables and Rice
• Chicken Fried Rice
• Chicken & Vegetable Kebabs
• Chilli Con Carne
• Roast Potato Wedges ... a healthy alternative to fries/chips
• Lean Spaghetti Bolognese
• Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Spaghetti
• Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
• Spinach & Mushroom Lasagne