Whenever stress enters my life I eat, especially around report card time while I am writing/grading. I think it has to do with the amount of time sitting while writing them! I find I crave chocolate and salty items & lots of coffee! I need ideas how to shake this bad habit!

Your ideas are very good. You may also want to try talking to someone, like calling a friend or family member to get your mind on something else. Another distraction would be to watch comedy or do some Yoga or Pilates - perhaps while you watch comedy.

I have 80 pounds of proof that emotional eating is bad for you. My husband was sick with brain cancer for 7 years and I had a high stress job to boot. During that same period, my mother in law and my mother both died. My husband died 1 year ago in August and just when I thought I was getting back on my feet, one of my friends died suddenly right before Christmas. Of course, one of my coping strategies is to cook and then to eat - because I am not sleeping well, etc. It all piles up. Now I am finding that by exercising consistently most days, I am not as tempted to eat for the sake of eating. I have not lost a lot of weight yet, but my blood pressure is better and so is my heartburn.