Day 1

Ok, so here it goes, my journey to get rid of all things processed in my life. It's going to tough for me. I love Pop-Tarts and my time in the kitchen is somewhat limited. My goals are simple: lose 30 lbs, lose the processed junk and create healthier eatings habits for my family. Did I say, "simple?" It sounds easy. But actually doing it is going to be one of the toughest journeys I've yet to encounter. I'm putting this out for the whole world to read. It's very hard to share these details, but I figure, if I'm going to do this, I'm going "whole hog."
Stats:
Current Weight: 178 (I just gained 6 lbs on vacation in the Deep South. Can you say BBQ?)
Height: 5', 5" (Yes, that reveals I am overweight and my BMI is off the charts)
Waist: 33"
Hips: 47" (Lots of junk in the trunk)
Bust: 36"
Whew! I'm sweating. Revealing that info is embarrassing. I used to be the skinny girl. The one in pretty bikinis. The thinnest of my friends. Now, I'm just another stay-at-home mom with muffin top, back fat and a big rear.
Some background info:
I'm 41. I've been a stay-at-home mom for the past five years. I have two girls, 5 and 3 1/2. I was in PR and Marketing for 15 years. I was good at it too and enjoyed my job immensely. But working 10-18 hour days, getting up early for morning news and staying late for premiere parties wasn't exactly going to fit in with motherhood (at least not in my book). We recently moved from beautiful San Diego to Northern VA for my husband's career.
I never really put too much thought into what I was buying at the grocery store. I've always eaten fairly healthy. I don't drink or buy soda, don't eat fried foods, my dairy is all fat-free or low-fat, I limit salt, alcohol, cholesterol and trans-fats, don't eat fast food, everything I buy is fat-free or low-fat and I only drink water - so WHY am I overweight???
Well, I do have hypo-thyroidism, which is an auto-immune disease which affects almost every function in the human body - including weight control. But recently, I started to look deeper...what if the combination of foods and the chemicals in my food is actually making me fat?? Combine that with only occasional exercise and voila - I'm chunky! 
So, today I'm starting with breakfast. My girls wanted pancakes. Instead of the usual box of Bisquick, I found a recipe using whole wheat flour. I made them from scratch and they were really good. Now, my next chore is to get rid of the Aunt Jemina syrup containing high fructose corn syrup amongst many other unmentionables. I think I'm going to try a recipe for homemade syrup using fruit. Tonight's dinner is Chicken Tacos. I'm cutting up red, yellow and orange bell peppers into strips. Then I will stir-fry them (no oil) with onions. I'll brown some organic chicken breasts cut into strips (seasoned with cumin, garlic, salt & pepper) and spread some non-fat refried beans on a corn tortilla. OK - so the beans are canned, not made from dried beans. But, as I said, it's a slow process. This is something my kids like and it's healthy and quick!
Alright, so Day 1 is almost over. I feel good. I'm off to a good start. I just wish it wasn't 95 degrees outside so I could go for a walk. I just ate a fat-free Fig Newton...slip!