DEIDREALLEN,
Start slowly. Don't try to do everything at once or you'll end up frustrated. NO ONE ever became a healthy eater overnight, it's impossible. That's why Spark People encourages its members to start with simple changes you CAN stick with first.
Example, if you are drinking too much soda, would you be willing to cut your consumption by half and replace the other half with water ? If you need a fizzy fix, try sparkling flavored waters like Perrier, Adirondak or Poland Springs. No chemicals, No sweeteners, No preservatives. Drinking carbonated flavored waters is a good way to transition away from soda. I used those as I was weening myself off Diet Coke. Going cold turkey never worked for me either.
As far as processed foods, you're going to need to learn to read labels. There's an old commercial that said if you can't pronounce an ingredient, why are you eating it ? Take my favorite jar of peanut butter. what's in it ? Peanuts and salt. If there is hydrogenated oil it it, I don't buy it.
Do you know how to cook ? If you want to get away from highly processed foods, you need to home cook most of your meals. So, if you're looking for some really great recipes, I recommend checking out the sparkrecipes section. there are tons of great recipes you can try and there is even a section for diabetic recipes too.
recipes.sparkpeople.com/home.asp Mostly, you need to be patient with yourself and your body. There will be days you become frustrated. Don't look at good health or weight loss with an "all or nothing" mentality. If the only healthy thing you did for yourself today was drink 8 glasses of water, that's still a step in the right direction. Every little bit really does make a difference. So, don't beat yourself up if you're not perfect. You don't have to be perfect to be healthy. it really does take time to change.
So, why not check out the spark recipes section for some good ideas for meals ? Like I said, doing more home cooking will help you get away from processed foods.
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