The beast of carbs/crackers/"insert weakness here"

I'm just curious, you don't have to share if it's too private....what do you do now instead? Do you have a different ritual?

I am learning to deal with those emotions rather than avoid them with food.  My strategies take on a few different paths right now.

The first task is to just identify what you are really feeling.  Stop and keep asking yourself what you are feeling.  Don't accept labels like boredom.  I use the "Why" method - Every time I answer myself I ask "Why" - I'm bored - Why?  I have nothing to do? Why? so forth and so on.  Sometimes it helps to just clear your mind and let the emotions wash over you or use the first word that pops into your mind as a starting place.

Once you get to what you are feeling, then you can start dealing with that emotion.  My first technique is redirection.  I try to take the energy from that emotion thats driving my craving and redirect it.  For example if its loneliness, I may go somewhere to be with people, or call friends, ore something like that.  IF I am feeling deprived I may go for a walk.  IF I am stressed, I may go for a run or workout.

Another technique that I try is to rewire the compulsion.  This is with an eye towards a more long term redirection - Instead of that emotion leading to an eating behavior, I try to rewire it to something else.  Sipping for example, or doing a bicep curl, or cleaning my house.

The best solution is to just acknowledge that emotion and try to deal with its root. Sometimes this may involve facing some painful memories and experiences.  In my case I relived a lot of rejections from childhood - back to remembering the first time I realized I was different than my peers and the first memory of being called "Fat".  I won't say that I am completely healed and healthy - but I am putting in the work to get there.

As far as ritual.  I write.  Putting what I am feeling on paper makes it real and allows me to process through it in an orderly way.  Before my server failed I used my Blog for that.  Sometimes, like last week, I use posting on OH.  Sometimes I will just write letters.

Hope this helps.