If anyone has a solution to bouts of emotional eating I would love to hear them, I start with one cookie, then two...before I know it half the bag. Does anyone have the same problems...hopefully the EFS diet will help me!!!

I think this is a really tough nut to crack, but I've found that you can start by recognizing what you're doing and calling a halt to it while you're in the process (before the damage is too bad).

A lot of people tend to eat something "bad" and feel they have failed then keep on eating and eating, figuring they've blown it so why not go whole hog. If you're interested in control, what you can do is not wait until the bottom of the chip bag to stop. Sometimes I think we do this because we're so comfortable hating ourselves that we finish off all of the cookies instead of stopping at 1 (or 3). Losing control and hating ourselves for it confirms our view of ourselves.

At any rate, there are different behavioral techniques that you can try but whether or not they will work depends on how and why you eat emotionally. If you do it and only realize in retrospect that that is what you have done, it's difficult to get control. If you know it before you start, you can employ some rules and techniques. For instance, tell yourself you can have a small indulgence after a delay (15 minutes is a good start) and write down your feelings while you wait for the time to countdown. If you still want something after you explore your feelings and the time has passed, allow a small indulgence.

The hard part for me has always been dealing with the rationalizations in time to stop myself. I'm trying to realize that the moment I have to rationalize eating something, I know I shouldn't be eating it. If I have to justify eating some peanuts, then I know it's wrong and likely emotional.

Be on the lookout for telling yourself you "need", "crave", or, worst of all "deserve" a particular food. That's your red flag to deal with the emotion otherwise. One thing you can do is remember that you're turning to food the way an addict goes for a drug. Consider that food is a palliative and not a cure for your mood or problems. It's like rubbing dirt in a wound to scratch the itchiness you feel. It relieves one problem, but makes the larger one much worse. Sometimes it helps to tell yourself this every time you want to eat emotionally.