How to regain control over eating habits?

You have to have self control. I have that problem sadly, too.
But just keep your mind busy and forget about food.
Make a goal.

As for the habit of eating, and most habits, you will simply have to change your actions for 21 days for the change to take effect. Often this means replacing the time that you spend eating with something else that you can later find yourself “addicted to” (a craft, friends, etc… anything that produces a sense of pleasure, especially pleasure as a result of tangible accomplishment even if they are baby steps). It’s a pure act of willpower otherwise. So my advise is to bolster your willpower, and distract yourself. Remember that you CAN do it. In the meantime, note what triggers your desire to eat (specific emotions, events, etc.) and try to introvert on yourself to connect the dots behind “why”. Why have you convinced yourself that you have a lack of control?

Additionally, don’t shop for food while hungry. If you just ate a large meal, that is the time to shop. You will be less likely to impulsively choose foods that you don’t really want to eat.

If it’s to your liking (and it sounds like your body is really wanting protein) I highly recommend edamame (slightly salted soy beans) as substitute for whatever you are eating. It’s extremely filling, good for you, and 16oz of it is only about 360 calories. I like it plain but you can add lime juice to it with little salt and it’s great. It’s also good with soy sauce and wasabi.

Additionally: it takes 20mins to feel full, so you may be eating too fast. try to breathe a bit between bites. Pace yourself and try to really enjoy your food as you eat. You should end up eating less and feeling more satisfied as a result.

Keep a food diary of everything you eat, what time, your mood, and if there were any triggers for wanting to eat. Lots of time people eat because they are either tired or thirsty. It’s not uncommon to crave sweets or carbs for the burst of energy. Drinking diet soft drinks can cause you to want to overeat. If you find you’re drinking a lot of diet sodas, you might want to try laying off of them to see if it has an effect on you.

And as @lucid said, eating slower will help you feel fuller.

Where and how are you getting these foods? Are you buying them or is someone else?
Don’t let junk into your house – and your body. If they are not around, you cannot eat them.

whenever you feel the urge to snack go for a walk around the block

Can you pinpoint when and why you started doing this or is it a long term problem that keeps coming back? I have this problem and have put on nearly a stone in the last few months. It’s really difficult but I think ultimately it starts in the brain. We have to be in the right mentality to lose weight and take care of our bodies… What is your motivation for stopping these habits? Are they strong enough motivations?

You should consult a doctor. Your symptoms are some common signs of diabetes, though there can be other causes as well.

Try using smaller plates when you eat. A lot of people were raised that they have to eat everything on their play, so when we use plates that are big and fill them, we feel guilty if we don’t eat everything on them. So instead, use a smaller plate so that you end up taking smaller portions at a time. After you finish the first plate, what about 10 to 15 minutes before getting seconds so that you can see if you are still really hungry once your food starts to settle. Also, drink water during your meals. It will help fill your stomach without adding any calories or sugar.

As far as not eating the foods you don’t want to eat, don’t buy them. Make a grocery list each time you go shopping and force yourself to stick to the list. Don’t go down the candy aisles at all so that you don’t have the temptation to buy that stuff.

First, go through your fridge and pantry and get rid of all of the foods you think you shouldn’t be eating. If you don’t want to waste food, give it all to a neighbor or some teenaged boy (they’ll eat anything).

Then make a list of some of the foods you know you want to try, or need to eat such as fruit and vegetables, lean meat, turkey and chicken, fish, whole grains (including whole grain pasta), beans, nuts and whole grain tortillas and whole grain bread and english muffins) low fat cheese and dairy products. Post this list on your fridge.

Then come up with a healthy menu for the week. If you aren’t that creative you can try some of the online menu planners such as foodfit.com Try to buy some things that you can use in multiple dishes (like spaghetti sauce or tomatoes or a whole roasted chicken) so you don’t end up buying a ton of stuff and over-spending. Write out the whole menu for breakfast lunch and dinner for a week and then follow it. Even if your hubby or kids have to fend for themselves.

Another good thing to do, is buy some items in bulk, spend one of the weekend days (per month) cooking up large batches of certain items like soup, vegetarian chili and vegetable lasagne. Here’s a link to a site that gives tips on how to freeze and thaw all sorts of different kinds of foods, plus recipes. Also, either on that same day or a different day, wash, dry, and cut up (if necessary) your vegetables and have them available in ziplock bags or tupperware. I got this idea from watching Rachel Ray. She just goes to the fridge when she’s ready to prepare a meal a voila, she grabs her veggies and there’s no prep!

Then schedule into your day (whatever time of day works best for you) some walking and/or light weight lifting (you can use food cans if you don’t own any weights). Post this time on your fridge so you don’t forget! You can get a pretty inexpensive pedometer at Target for about ten bucks, or you can just drive your car on the route you think you will use to get an idea of the distance. Start out walking a certain distance (½ to 1 mile depending on your current fitness level) and walk only that far each day for the first week and then increase it a little each week. Hopefully you’ll be able to get up to 4 or 5 miles per day. Don’t knock yourself out in the first weeks, if you’re having some pain you may have to postpone and start over. An know that it’s easier and more fun if you are able to walk with a friend. If you walk with an ipod or other musical device, be extra vigilent about the traffic!

If you have insurance and have not had a check up in over a year, schedule one now. Your doctor will check your cholesteol levels and see if you are at risk for heart disease or diabetes and make recommendations based on the results. Let your doctor know that you are trying to start a new healthy eating and fitness regimen.

Embrace the soup! Soup is one of the most satisfying, healthy (if you use lots of veggies) and filling dishes that you can make. Just be sure to avoid the ones that have full fat milk, cream or cheese, or croutons or fatty cuts of meat. Here’s one for butternut squash, apple and sweet potato soup. Here’s one for black bean soup And here’s one for chicken noodle soup And here’s one for hot and sour soup And here’s one for minestrone soup And here’s one for fresh tomato soup

Good luck : )