Who isn’t these days! I don’t know how I ever found the time to go out to work! It’s very easy to use lack of time as an excuse to give up on your weight loss efforts, but with a little forethought and planning, you really can make life easier. Plan meals in advance and write out a shopping list to make sure you buy what you need.

Batch cook meals and freeze in usable portions. Good choices include chilli, Bolognese sauce, curries, casseroles, pasta bakes, cottage pie, ‘free�?soups, risottos, meatballs.

Keep a couple of ‘healthy�?frozen ready meals in the freezer for when you don’t have time to cook.

Pre-prepared salads and vegetables save peeling time and waste, as do frozen veg. If you are cooking for one, individual portions of steam veg are very convenient.

Always cook extra rice and freeze in portions. You can use bought frozen rice that can be micro-waved in a couple of minutes.

Canned corned beef can be quickly made into a hash, a pasta sauce or a stir-fry.