I would look at the labels of the diet food to be sure you're getting the nutrients you and the baby need. That's the biggie about dieting while pregnant. Taking a prenatal vitamin is very important too.

Your doctor should give you a good guideline to what would be good for your to gain during pregnancy. A friend of mine was pretty overweight when she conceived and was told to try not to gain anything. I was told that 15 pounds would be ok. It really depends on how overweight you were to start with. Women with a healthy BMI I think are allowed to gain 25 or 30 pounds safely.

The weight that is gained isn't just fat. If its excessive, it sure can be, but I think there's a good breakdown of how much everything weighs (baby, uterus, blood volume extra breast tissue, etc), so gaining isn't a bad thing if its not excessive. I know its scary to think about gaining more weight when overweight to start with!!

The big concern is that the baby gets enough nutrients to grow correctly. As long as it does, it should be ok. My friend ended up losing 10 pounds by the end of her pregnancy and the baby was totally healthy. Its something that you should work with your doctor closely about.

I don't do a lot of cooking myself, but I end up eating a lot of soup - big chunky varieties with lots of meat and veggies.

i totally undersatnd where you are coming from. i am also a bit over weight and when i got pregnant i was afraid that i was just gonna pack on the pounds. but it couldnt be further from the truth, i actually lost 10 pounds my first 2 months i was pregnant, not because i was sick or anything but just because i guess. i am now in my 6th month and ive only gained 1 pound during this whole pregnancy and i still have 3 more months to go. as long as you dont over do it, you should be fine with gaining weight. i just eat when im hungry and give in to most of my cravings and everything is fine. sorry for typing anovel and i hope this helps.

I guess they are fine, but not all the time. They are very high in sodium. You don't have high blood pressure do you? Don't worry about being over weight while pregnant. As long as it is not excessive then you should be fine. My midwife told me that women who aren't over weight usually gain about 25 to 30 pounds, and women that are overweight usually gain about 15 to 20 pounds during their pregnancy. I would say eat a frozen dinner about 2 or 3 times a week. And cook a "healthy" meal the rest of the time. Instead of fried foods just bake it or broil it. Fresh veggies are better than frozen. Hope I helped some.

Those "diet meals" are ok occasionally.I eat them too sometimes if I go home for lunch and have no leftovers.They are high in sodium and some are high in carbs so I actually still gain while eating them.(not when I am pregnant though)Try to eat lots of fruits and veggies,not alot of sugar.I still gain alot but not excessively.My dr doesnt fuss,thank God.Just dont go around being hungry and afraid to eat..

Also watch out because alot of those meals tend to be high in sugar!! You wouldn't guess it but they often are! My sister is a HORRIBLE cook and pretty lazy when it comes to cooking so she used to opt for the frozen meals too, but i bought her a 10 minute meal recipe book that have REALLY easy and quick healthy meals that don't require a heap of skill. Those are great for busy women and women (like my sister) who find it difficult to cook a piece of toast without setting the house on fire! haha. If your worried about keeping fit during pregnancy, i've found pilates really helpful, not only for maintaining my fitness level, but also because it strengthens your core which can be helpful when it comes to going into labor and helps your body to bounce back after you've had the baby. Best of luck :D