Healthy habits coach Holly Mills has shared her top tips for curbing overeating while still enjoying the snacks you love – and it’s all down to changing your mindset
Finding the right balance in your diet is key, even when it comes to indulging in ‘junk food’ like chocolate, crisps, and biscuits – but remember, moderation is everything.
Overeating can be a real problem, not just with unhealthy foods but also with the good stuff, especially for those on a weight loss journey. To help tackle this, healthy habits coach Holly Mills has shared her wisdom on how to enjoy your favourite treats without going overboard.
In a TikTok clip, Holly is tempted by a bag of mini eggs, confessing “it’s like the floodgates have opened,” while reaching for another.
The scene shifts to a more understanding version of Holly who sympathises with the craving, prompting the mini egg-loving Holly to reveal she can’t keep chocolate in the house or she’d eat it all at once.
“That’s one approach,” the other Holly acknowledges, before introducing the idea of conquering the ‘food scarcity’ mindset.
Defensively, the first Holly snaps back: “I’m not scared of food,” only to be corrected: “No, you spoon. Food scarcity, this idea that food is going away if you don’t eat it straight away.”
The second Holly shares her own past struggles, explaining, “I used to be the same. Growing up, if there was tasty food in the house, you can bet it wouldn’t be around for long. So your choice was eat it then or not at all.”
In a heartfelt exchange about battling the compulsion to overindulge, one individual confessed: “And that lead me to have this mindset that I had to eat it all now because it wouldn’t be there later.”
Another chimed in with a shared experience, saying, “That happened to me, too,” and sought advice on how to escape such habitual thoughts.
Holly stepped in with some practical tips, starting with: “So, the first thing that you’re gonna wanna do is make food predicable. Eating in a regular structure every day, like three meals and one snack, tells your body and brain that food is predictably coming. And if you can pack those meals with protein and fibre, even better.”
She then tackled the issue of demystifying cravings: “Next up, we wanna take these food off a pedestal. Foods like this [the mini eggs] often come with guilt, so giving yourself unconditional permission to eat takes the power away from the chocolate.”
Addressing concerns about potential overindulgence, someone asked, “Won’t I just end up eating loads of chocolate?” Holly reassured them: “Maybe at first, but over time, you’ll start to realise that the chocolate isn’t going anywhere and you’ll have more control around it.”
Wrapping up her advice, Holly focused on managing portions: “And over time, you can work yourself down from a whole bag, to three quarters of a bag, to half a bag, until you’re at a point that you feel like is a decent portion.
“None of this is a quick fix. But the more you practice it, the easier it will be to feel like these foods are abundant and the easier it’ll get.”
There are lots of way you can lose weight, but the NHS recommends getting active for 150 minutes a week, aiming to get your 5 A Day, and not losing more than 1 to 2lbs a week. If you want to speak to someone about losing weight for your health, it’s a good idea to book an appointment with your GP.