Remember that scene in Bull Durham?

The one where Nuke is walking through the center of the team bus on the arm rests? And yelling?

WHAT?!? You don't? WHAT?!? You've never seen Bull Durham?!?

Here's the clip (NSFW) to which I'm referring:

Just why am I thinking about that specific bit of movie history this morning? Because …

I EFFING LOVE LOSING WEIGHT!

I do, man. It's like … BETTER than GAINING!

I went for Mammogram, The Sequel, yesterday, calling before I went to town to make sure the machine was in good working order. It was. I wore that Dylan shirt and a pair of denim capris, because who needs to dress up for radiology? The first pair of capris I put on were too big. But because my closet resembles the misses' department of a department store, I had the next smaller size in stock.

The second pair have a side zipper which can be difficult to zip all the way to the top while they're on me. So I zipped them all the way up on the hanger and then put them on. Due to the way they're cut, they don't slip or fall down, and they fit perfectly and comfortably.

So. About losing weight. I love that:

• I could take that photo yesterday and not want to hide behind something.
• it's not all-food, all-the-time around the Middle of Nowhere any more.
• the scale keeps moving down, almost daily, something it hasn't done in years.
• this way of eating doesn't leave me wanting more.

Also. I love losing weight more than I love:

• diet soda
• sugar
• grains
• dairy
• legumes

Priorities. FOR ME, finding out after all these years that replacing some foods (and food groups) with fat and protein and vegetables, oh my! would result in the dramatic and consistent losses I've experienced brings up quite a few feelings, mostly good but also a bit of regret, a negative feeling which I will not be stuffing down with food.

It took me a long time to throw up my hands and say, "Okay. Whatever. I've tried everything else, I might as well try this." What if I'd just been a little more willing a little sooner?

Then again, until I'd tried everything else, I might not have been ready to try this.

Everything happens in its own time, and it's all good. I've learned some valuable lessons, and I'm not done. What I've learned most is:

I EFFING LOVE LOSING WEIGHT!

P.S. For Gingerzingi, truly raw cashews are, indeed, poisonous. My "raw" cashews were from Trader Joe's, and were undoubtedly steamed to remove the toxic substance.