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Step 1
Don't skip meals. If you're trying to lose weight and cut calories by not eating, you'll set yourself up for intense cravings, and it will eventually backfire. Eat regular meals of complex carbs, (not refined ones like white bread and pasta) protein, and a small amount of healthy fat. This will keep your blood sugar steady and keep you feeling satisfied. A good example is a whole-wheat english muffin with peanut butter, eggs, or a low-fat yogurt and granola.
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Step 2
Keep a food diary for a week, recording everything you've eaten, along with your moods, how stressed out you are, and how hungry you were just before eating. This will help you identify the things that drive you to reach for candy or junk food.
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Step 3
If you eat when you're stressed out, try waiting 20 minutes. You're most likely to react on your brain's demands for 20 minutes after a stressful episode. If you can wait it out, chances are, the urge will fade. If you need to chew on something, try a piece of gum or hard candy. Research shows that gum chewers have 16% less of the stress hormone, Cortisol than non-chewers and they respond better to stressful situations.
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Step 4
Drink something. Sometimes, thirst can feel like hunger. Try having a glass of water and see if you still want something to eat afterwards.
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Step 5
Watch a funny movie. Laughing cuts stress, releases endorphins and burns calories. An hour of laughing can burn as many calories as lifting weights for a half an hour.
