I too look at my dealings with food as a life long
condition, one that can't be cured but that can be managed with careful monitoring, planning, effort and commitment.
When I made the decision to lose the weight, I did so so with the intent of losing it once and for all, no matter what and PERMANENTLY. That meant establishing life long new healthy habits, ones that I would ALWAYS adhere to. You can't just do this sometimes, or when you feel like it, or only when circumstances permit. Imagine if I were to run my household that way, my money, my job, my family - it would be a mess and chaotic. No thank you. The same holds true for my food intake. It matters. It matters a lot to me. I no longer settle for a second best existience, not when a first best one is available to me. This is IMPORTANT and it is worthy of all the time and effort I put into it. It's a lot better than spending time being miserable about re-gaining weight and about being heavy.
This was/is no diet that I'm *on* or off - I just continue on with the new healthy life style that I now adhere to.
Stress eating? Well, you've got to realize, find the adult in you and tell yourself that eating due to stress causes waaaaay more problems than it solves. Stop settling for short lived temporary fixes, which in the end fixes NOTHING at all. You're an adult - you need to make mature, reasonable, rational decisions. You don't drive recklessly, you shouldn't eat recklessly either.
And yes, I think you do know what to do - stop buying the garbage, stop letting it in, you can't get away with it, it doesn't work. Start planning out those healthy meals and snacks. Eating healthy does not happen on it's own, you can't wing it - it needs to be thought out in advance. It requires a continuous, conscientious effort - one that you must be willing to put forth or there will be a price to pay.
You don't want to gain back any more weight - so than don't. You don't have to. It is your choice. It is up to you. Weight gain just doesn't happen to a person, likewise with weight loss - you manipulate it, you orchestrate it.
Decide you want to do this, once and for all, permanently and no matter what. And be willing to put forth the effort that is needed to MAKE it work. The best plan in the world, whatever that may be for each of us individuals will stop working the second we stop making it work.
Go back to dieting one oh one. RE-COMMIT!!! You know what to do. Now get out there and do it.