Annie, I've been dipping in and out of this post since it began and nodding my head the whole time. I'm over here waving at you -- 17 years sober, about as long smoke-free, constantly battling the sugar thing ... I hear you loud and clear.
The triggers are familiar and so common ... hungry, angry, lonely, tired ... add in bored or overwhelmed, and it's all there. With the Internet, access is immediate. And it's all so easy to rationalize!
After a few months on YLF I decided to closely track purchases in 2014. I have a pretty healthy clothing budget, but I wanted to really watch where the money was going. So I am keeping a running tab -- a list of the items I buy, with prices, in a journal that sits in front of me on my desk. And as January wound down I was pretty overwhelmed at where I stood, budget-wise. I knew I could not sustain the year at that pace, and I also knew that much of the purchasing was emotional: in reaction to seasonal depression, cabin fever, and seasonally slow work pace.
So I basically did my equivalent of "go to a meeting," and I turned to my little resolution group. I have a small group of friends, including my husband, and we are tackling the New Year's Resolution thing one month at a time -- you set a resolution for the month, tell the group what it is, and then at the end of the month let the group know how you did. It's all about accountability and support, without judgement. I went to the group and made February a "clothing-purchase free" month. It was humbling, but I needed it. I know that I need the space to free my mind up a bit, to get back in balance financially for the year and also to be able to reframe my approach to buying. I just need a month to take a breath, and this group helped me do it.
I hope that reaching out to the YLF group has helped you in the same way.