I'm new here. I'm 24. I currently weigh 332lbs. I'm trying to lose weight to get at least to having a BMI below 35. I have really bad arthritis in my left foot and ankle. I was diagnosed when I was 16, but had issues for a while before that. I can't take NSAIDS because they make my blood pressure sky rocket, and my doctors refused to prescribed anything else for a long time. Do to this I've usually avoided exercise because anytime I've tried to have a regular exercise routine its caused the pain to be worse. I have maintained a weight of about 275 for several years and was fine leaving it that way. A few months ago I was diagnosed with depression, possibly related to the arthritis issues, and am currently taking an anti-depressant called Remeron, which causes increased appetite and weight gain. No other anti-depressant I've tried does anything for the depression and had much side-effects, so its not really something I can avoid for right now. My regular doctor recently decided to prescribe me Tramadol to help with the arthritis pain. Other than being busy with college and work, I don't really have an excuse not to exercise anymore I guess, so I'm trying to work off the weight I've recently gained and then some. Hopefully I can stick to it this time.

Sounds like you're having a rough time of it, MTPetey. I currently deal with some of the same things you do. (Osteoarthritis in my left knee and foot, depression, etc.) I'm familiar with Tramadol and took it for a while until it stopped working. There are other exercises you can do that don't involve walking/running, etc. There are ones you can even do just sitting in a chair.

This forum is full of wonderful people with a lot of experience and knowledge. You won't be alone here. That's for sure.

Welcome to the the forum and best wishes for all your losses!!

Welcome, MTPetey! You'll find lots of support on here.

We have similar situations, with the exception of the arthritis and depression. I've been pretty lucky to avoid health problems, for now. I hope you're able to find the support and motivation that you are looking for.

I am also new here and am also on remeron. I gained 30 lbs since October while taking it so I understand how hard it can be to lose weight while taking a medication that causes weight gain.