Beta HCG - Achey Breaky Day

The good news is that I'm down a total of 3 net pounds since Monday morning. Yay!

The other good news is that the headache I had yesterday and the day before has subsided.

And the last good news is that I was able to get a bunch of my questions answered by my doctor, Dr. Pieter DeWet, last night on a support call he holds every Tuesday night. The best news from that is that I get to drink flavored coffee -- Dunkin Donuts french vanilla! -- as long as the flavor comes from the beans and not the syrup they put in in the store. I have DD french vanilla in my freezer and I'm thrilled that I can indulge in that, especially since I can only have 1 T of milk a day.

The not-so-great news is that I have been achey all day. Physical therapy this morning (for my knee after arthroscopic surgery) was more difficult and painful than usual. Even some of the exercises that I'd been doing relatively easily and pain-free were suddenly not so doable. What's that about? The weather changing from sunny and dry to rainy/drizzly? I doubt it. Dr. D said I can't have ibuprofen or Celebrex anymore, one or the other of which I've been taking pretty much every day for quite awhile.Dr. D said not only can they be tough on the kidneys and liver, they can also further harm the joints, and I definitely don't want any of that! I've been off of all that stuff for a couple of weeks, as well as glucosamine and chondroitin, per the instructions of the HCG diet, but I sure don't like this aching and stiffness. I'm looking into a homeopathic or herb solution....

I ran an errand after PT and then gratefully drove home, cooked up some hamburger (extra lean, of course) with salt, pepper and chili seasonings along with leftover asparagus from dinner out last night and ate a very unsatisfying lunch. Talk about blah taste! (I need to learn how to cook stuff without sauces and oils.) Then I eased myself under the covers and took a great nap.

Last night was a taste treat. My dinner pals and I went to Longhorn Steakhouse and that 3.5 ounces of filet minon were fabulous. The other 3.5 ounces are in my fridge now and I will probably eat it cold tonight because I can't figure out how to warm it up without cooking it, and it 's perfect at the medium rare that Longhorn delivered it to me at.

This change stuff is a challenge. I was so comfortable eating the way I was, even if it was sending me on my way to an earlier grave. I am eating totally differently now -- totally! So it'll take me awhile to make the switch and get good at it. I just wish I could stop aching and get some real energy in the process. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.