I agree with Kiki76.

Knowing that there is a problem is the first step to change it.

There may be days when you forget to ask yourself if you are truly hungry or feeling bad about something, and you may over indulge, and that can be disappointing.

However, there may also be days when you totally remember to ask yourself what is going on emotionally or if you are truly hungry, and you will have a major victory of actually dealing with the emotion rather than hiding it with food, or recognizing the hunger, and then realize you just need to eat.

BOY, does it feel good when you remember to figure out whats going on, rather than going to the knee-jerk reaction of burying emotions with food!

The more you start being mindful of whats going on emotionally, the more successes you will start to have, and you will feel empowered.

Just take it moment by moment, one small victory at a time. Rome wasnt built in a day; You can do this!!!

I agree with keeping healthy foods in the house - you can take it one step further and set up multiple healthy snacks that your body needs: almonds, cut up fruits, ready to eat fruits (peel oranges, wash berries and grapes) raw veggie trays (with lite dressing if you need it - otherwise use plain yogurt for dipping), snack bars like FiberOne, lowfat yogurts, wheat bread and fruit spread for toast, raisins, etc. It's actually very healthy to have many small meals a day to keep your metabolism running efficiently, so keep the good snacks ready to go and don't prepare big meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner - you'll feel tired and stuffed.

i also av the same issue,whenever am stressed up i snack a lot n eats lots of junks.But lately have resolved to stop it by just going into a quiet place n thinking of my son.

Open mouth, insert food. I have a tendency to eat sweets when I'm stressed. I think because I associate sweet treats with reward, but I know I'm not doing my body any good.

I agree with lindad that it helps not to have bad stuff in the house and if I can fill up on water I can sometimes get past a craving.

It's not easy!

I am also an emotional eater (mostly when something bad happens) and I have found a few things that work for me. First, I generally don't keep any junk food in my house. If it's not there, I don't eat it, and I'm too lazy to run out to get it. I will also drink some water (or chew some gum) - that will usually decrease any cravings. If I am having a really bad day, I will call my mom or one of my friends to vent. By the time I get off the phone, I usually feel a lot better and don't need that snack to get me through.

This is something so many of us struggle with, I think. It's because food is so intrinsically linked with both celebration (holidays, weddings, births) an sorrow (funerals, breakups, etc.) We often offer food to one another as gift or consolation.

Breaking the pattern is easier said than done. Knowing the triggers can help, as can only keeping healthy snacks on hand. Something that works for me is that I put a note both on my fridge and in my wallet that says "Why are you here?" It's a subtle reminder to think about why I'm about to eat what I am. Most of the time I remember that I'm not hungry at all, I'm just filling up whatever void is there. So I call a friend or write or brush my teeth...anything to distract.