Hi Angela, welcome to FitDay. I am so sorry for the losses of your parents. I lost my wonderful dad 9 years ago and I can relate to the sadness.
Secondly, congratulations on the 70 pounds you have already lost! That is a tremendous accomplishment! And congrats as well for taking this "wake up call" and making positive steps for your own health. And I honestly believe that your mom and dad know what you're doing and are so proud of you
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Unfortunately, I'm not in Cleveland, either, but there are a number of threads on this board that are full of supportive and clever people. You may want to check out the 7-Day Motivational Thread in the Women's corner; we start over each Monday but you can jump in at any time; we would love to have you. Also, there is a thread called Have You Exercised Today? that is good for motivation as well. Have a look around and jump in wherever you like. Looking forward to seeing you!
dmartz, thanks for your response also. Well said.