Thinking of dieting? Unfortunately, one of the biggest obstacles to successful dieting is lack of time. Lack of time to prepare the types of healthy snacks and meals that are needed to meet nutritional requirements and at the same time comply with calorie restrictions for weight loss. It’s much easier to call in at the local takeaway on the way home from work rather than face the prospect of having to prepare a meal at the end of a long day. Here are a few tips and tricks that you can use to help keep on the straight and narrow.

The most common, and probably obvious solution is to spend a few hours each weekend preparing all the meals for the week ahead. They can be portioned up, popped into freezer containers ready to go, then simply pulled out each morning to thaw so they’re ready for reheating when you get home that night. Alternatively, you can leave them frozen and simply use the microwave to reheat as required. That way the whole family is also eating healthily with you, making it easier to stick to your weight loss goals.

Whilst you’re preparing the week’s meals, you can also clean and cut up fruit and vegetables as well as salad ingredients to store in the fridge ready to go. These can be used as quick lunchbox fillers, snacks, or added to the main evening meal. If they’re readily available, ready to go, and ready to eat it will reduce the temptation to buy convenience foods like packets of potato chips and candy. They’ll also help push you towards your recommended daily quota of fruit and vegetables for the day.

Yogurt is a delicious, healthy snack and a perfect replacement for ice cream, especially home made yogurt. Making it is a simple process these days with all the yogurt makers now available and you have the added advantage of knowing exactly what’s in it. It will keep for several days in the fridge so consider making a batch when you’re doing your ‘weekly’ cook. Portion it out into small containers that can be quickly grabbed to add to lunches, or for breakfast. Again, convenience is key here; if you have a constant supply of healthy foods ready to go you’re less likely to fall back on packaged junk food.

Along with a healthy diet, regular exercise is an integral component in any successful weight loss program. You can save a considerable amount of time by incorporating workouts into your daily routine. Instead of hopping in the lift, use the stairs. Go for a walk during your lunch break. Rather than parking close to the grocery store, park farther away and walk. You’ll find plenty of exercise opportunities once you start looking for them.

Of course there are also plenty of shortcuts available as well. Diet pills, like those from the Shark Tank weight loss pill episode, abound as do all manner of pre-packaged diet meals, shakes, bars etc. Whilst some of these products contain ingredients that can help, the fact is that nothing works better for weight loss than sensible, healthy eating and exercise.