Understanding vs knowing

So my nutritionist corrected me a few times: "It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change." And I nodded my head in agreement and then moved on to the next topic. And I've read it often in blogs and articles here, "It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change" but didn't pause to think on it and just moved on. I think because I thought that the words weren't important, what I call this process isn't important, because I just have to *do* it, no matter what words I use.

But this week I have been thinking about my slipping into my old habits of nighttime junk food snacking, which I think I allowed myself because hey, I hit my target, didn't I? And I finally *understood* what this statement means. It's a lifestyle change - I really need to embrace and commit to the permanence of this process. It's not about reaching a defined goal and trying to stay there. It's about changing my approach to food, for the rest of my life.

This thing we're doing is tough. It's not enough to have an intellectual knowledge of the process. It's important to also *feel* the truth and necessity of what we are doing, in order to be able to maintain the commitment. So I think I'm getting there - I've been approaching this weight loss as a defined project to complete, but now I really understand that it needs to be my new, open-ended reality.

And - no night-time snacking today! I stuffed my dinner with seven different veggies and a generous serving of protein, and am still full.