We have all been there. Stressed out, depressed, lonely, bored, angry and the list goes on and on and on.

We reach for whatever is closest or easiest to obtain, a pint of ice cream, a bag of potato chips, an extra big candy bar.

Emotional eating can become the biggest sabotage to your weight loss goal. It’s comforting and unfortunately sometimes leads to your strongest food cravings, the hardest to resist.

The hassles of just a regular day or a major life event can lead to emotional distress which in turn leads to eating too much, and that usually includes high-calorie, sweet, fatty foods. Who has ever turned to a bag of carrots to get them through a break up?

Emotional eating tends to be an unhealthy cycle. When you are binge eating for comfort you scold yourself only to end up eating even more because you feel bad for breaking your weight loss efforts.

To stay on your weight loss track you must recognize and overcome the emotional triggers that lead to emotional eating. Follow these tips to eliminate or tame your emotional eating.

1. Control stress levels: Easier said than done, right? If you feel yourself becoming stressed or overwhelmed cut it off before it gets out of hand. Go for a run. Exercise is the number one way to relieve stress. Try some management techniques such as yoga or meditation. But first just simply take a deep breath.

2. Talk to someone: No, not necessarily a shrink, but try calling up an old friend if you feel down. Friends are medicine. They make us laugh, they talk sense into us, they offer support in time of need.

3. Resist boredom: Don’t just sit on the couch. Keep yourself busy. Find a hobby that you enjoy and actually take part in doing it. Go to the bookstore, read a book, take a walk, go fishing, anything that will keep you from mindlessly snacking and dwelling on whatever emotional issues you may be dealing with.

4. Get enough sleep: People tend to overeat when they are exhausted because they are trying to overcompensate for their lack of energy. You think eating that candy bar will give you enough energy to get you over that afternoon hump. A good night’s rest will do wonders for your mood as well. You will be more relaxed and may be able to think a little more rationally eliminating those snack cravings.

5. Eliminate temptation: When you’re at the grocery store don’t buy all the junk food. If you have it in the house you are more apt to turn to it in time of crisis. And definitely don’t go grocery shopping when you are upset or feeling emotional. That will only lead to a cart full of calories and fat.

If you do slip and end up messing up your weight loss regimen don’t hold it against yourself. We all have slip ups. Forgive but don’t forget. Start fresh but remember what triggered you to slip in the first place and remember how to resist those triggers during those much needed comforting times and don’t make the same mistake as before.