Keto on Weight Watchers: Can You Combine These Diets for Weight Loss?

The ketogenic diet (keto) and Weight Watchers (WW) are popular weight loss approaches. Keto is a high-fat, very low-carb diet, while Weight Watchers focuses on portion control and a points system. This article explores the possibility of combining these two seemingly disparate approaches, examining their principles, benefits, and potential drawbacks.

Understanding the Keto Diet

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that forces the body into a metabolic state called ketosis. In ketosis, the body burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. Typically, keto plans limit carbs to 5-10% of daily calories, around 20-50 grams per day. Fat intake accounts for approximately 70% of daily calories.

How Keto Works

When carbohydrate intake is drastically reduced, the body first uses its glycogen stores (stored sugar). Once those are depleted, it breaks down fat into ketones, which become the primary energy source. This process can lead to rapid weight loss, initially due to water loss as glycogen is used up.

Types of Keto Diets

There are several variations of the keto diet:

• Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD): A very low-carb, high-fat diet with moderate protein (70-80% fat, 10-20% protein, 5-10% carbs).
• Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD): Cycles between ketogenic days (5 days) and higher-carb re-feeding days (2 days). Popular among athletes.
• Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD): Allows for increased carb intake around intense workouts to replenish glycogen stores, also favored by athletes.
• High-Protein Ketogenic Diet: Increases protein intake to 35% of calories while reducing fat to 60%.

Potential Benefits of Keto

• Weight Loss: Studies suggest keto can be effective for short-term weight loss.
• Blood Sugar Control: May improve blood sugar control and lower insulin levels, particularly for individuals with type 2 diabetes
• Appetite Suppression: Ketosis may have an appetite-suppressing effect.
• Neurological Conditions: Research suggests keto may be a promising treatment for neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and migraines.
• Cancer Treatment: Additionally, some studies suggest the keto diet might help boost the effects of chemo and radiation therapy when used with standard cancer treatments.

Potential Risks and Drawbacks of Keto

• Nutrient Deficiencies: Restricting carbs can lead to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• "Keto Flu": Initial symptoms like fatigue, headache, dizziness, nausea, and constipation can occur as the body adapts to ketosis.
• Digestive Issues: Low fiber intake can cause digestive problems.
• Heart Health Concerns: High fat intake, especially saturated fat, may pose risks to heart health.
• Sustainability: The restrictive nature of keto makes it difficult to maintain long-term.
• Exclusion of Healthy Foods: The diet excludes many healthy foods, such as beans, legumes, most fruits, and oats.
• Ketoacidosis: Though rare, a dangerous condition called ketoacidosis, in which the blood’s pH plummets to potentially lethal levels, can occur.

Understanding Weight Watchers (WW)

Weight Watchers is a commercial diet program that utilizes a points system to guide food choices. Every food and beverage is assigned a point value based on its nutritional content, encouraging members to eat foods lower in calories, saturated fat, and sugar while being higher in protein.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

How Weight Watchers Works

WW assigns a daily SmartPoints allowance based on individual factors like sex, weight, height, age, and health goals. The program also includes ZeroPoint foods, which can be eaten without counting points. These typically include fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins.

Weight Watchers Plans

WeightWatchers offers three membership plans to suit different needs and goals:

• Points Program: Gives you a certain number of points per day, allowing you to choose foods that fit within your daily total.
• Workshops Plan: Includes all benefits of the Points program, as well as unlimited in-person and virtual workshops, as well as weekly weight-loss strategies and behavior-change techniques from expert coaches.
• Weight-Loss Medications Plan: This plan does not include the cost of medications.

Potential Benefits of Weight Watchers

• Weight Loss: Studies show that Weight Watchers is a cost-effective way to help more people access diabetes prevention programs and achieve weight loss that lowers their risk of diabetes.
• Flexibility: All foods are allowed as long as you track your points.
• Portion Control: Weight Watchers is great for learning portion control, which makes counting those carbs a little less stressful.
• Support System: Weight Watchers comes with built-in support.
• Moderation: Provides a method of practicing moderation and portion control that’s simpler than calorie counting.

Potential Risks and Drawbacks of Weight Watchers

• Cost: Membership fees can add up over time.
• Complexity: Points can get complicated quickly.
• Potential for Unhealthy Choices: It's also possible to obsess over keto carb counts or WeightWatchers food points and sacrifice nutritional variety.
• Discourages Healthy Foods: The SmartPoints system may inadvertently discourage you from consuming foods that are otherwise healthy, simply because they’re high in calories or fat.
• Hunger: Hunger may be an issue on WW for some people.

Combining Keto and Weight Watchers: Is It Possible?

Combining keto and Weight Watchers is possible, but it requires careful planning and a focus on healthy fats and lean proteins. The goal is to align the high-fat, low-carb principles of keto with the portion control and points system of Weight Watchers.

Strategies for Combining the Diets

1. Prioritize Healthy Fats: Choose healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, and coconut butter instead of relying on cheese and butter.
2. Select Lean Proteins: Opt for leaner cuts of protein such as fish, chicken, turkey, and pork instead of fatty meats like ribeye steak and bacon.
3. Choose Low-Carb Vegetables: Focus on non-starchy vegetables like salads, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and other lower carb vegetables.
4. Limit Fruit Intake: Most fruits are too high in carbs, but berries like raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries can be included in moderation.
5. Monitor Carb Intake: Keep carb intake low, typically under 30 grams per day.
6. Avoid Processed Foods: Emphasize whole, unprocessed foods.
7. Re-evaluate Points Goals: Adjust Weight Watchers points goals to accommodate the higher fat intake on keto.

Considerations

• Focus on Nutrient-Dense Foods: Ensure you're getting adequate nutrients from keto-friendly vegetables and limited fruits.
• Hydration: Stay well-hydrated, as both diets can have a diuretic effect.
• Electrolyte Balance: Consider supplementing with electrolytes to avoid symptoms of the keto flu.
• Individual Needs: Consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian to determine if this combination is appropriate for your individual health needs and goals.

Who Should Consider Combining Keto and Weight Watchers?

This approach may be suitable for individuals who:

• Want to experience the rapid weight loss benefits of keto while maintaining the structure and support of Weight Watchers.
• Need to manage blood sugar levels and insulin resistance.
• Prefer a more flexible approach to keto that allows for some moderation.
• Want to learn portion control while adhering to a low-carb diet.

Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

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