And just to make sure... things are lined up right so that your needle is NOT "nicking" the foot as it comes down into the fabric? That's the only time I've broken a needle (thogh I haven't sewn that much that's really thick/heavy). Needle + metal = bad.
Are you getting a snarl of thread on the bottom? If the bobbin tension isn't right or if the fabric, for whatever reason, doesn't push through/along the track right, sometimes I get a snarl that catches, and then the fabric can't progress and things come to a halt. My sewing machine (which is like, 40+ years old) has a diagram - if the top thread is loose but the bottom thread is tight, then do this. If the bottom thread is loose but the top thread is tight, do this. Dunno if modern machines would come with that as well - I would hope so - but the tension on the needle thread and the bobbin thread is sometimes going to be different for lightweight vs heavy fabrics, and you need to figure that out (usually trial and error).
Also make sure you're not trying to go "full speed ahead" right from the get-go. Most machines that I've encountered (which admittedly isn't that many) have a pedal that's pressure sensitive - the harder you push, the faster it goes. Start off really really slow to allow yourself time to make sure it's going to start to progress smoothly, before picking the speed up. You don't have to go fast - that's for people who're good at it and are sure of what they're doing - and unless you're barely getting it to crawl along, it'll still be faster than sewing by hand
Many fabric stores have sewing classes. It might be worth your while to take one - you'll learn how to use a machine as well as things like how to choose, apply, cut, and sew patterns, in a basic class.