Keto And Weight Watchers: Can They Work Together?

Combining keto and Weight Watchers can be challenging, but it is possible. Weight Watchers is a commercial diet program that focuses on weight loss, healthy eating, and lifestyle habits. It uses a points-based system to encourage healthier food choices and portion control. On the other hand, keto is a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet that aims to put your body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy. To make these two plans work together, you need to focus on choosing healthier fats and leaner protein options, as well as controlling your portion sizes and overall carb intake.

Choose healthier fats

While on the keto diet, it is important to choose healthier fats. Here are some tips to help you make healthier choices:

• Avocados and avocado oil: Avocados are an excellent source of heart-healthy fats and also provide fibre and essential vitamins and minerals. Enjoy avocados by themselves, make guacamole, or add them to smoothies and salads. Avocado oil can be drizzled over grilled or steamed veggies or used in salad dressings and keto-friendly sauces.
• Nuts and nut butters: Nuts are a great way to boost your intake of healthy fats, plant-based protein, and fibre. Walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, and Brazil nuts are all great options for the keto diet. Nut butters offer similar benefits but check the labels to avoid added sweeteners.
• Flax seeds and chia seeds: Flax seeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fats, fibre, and plant compounds. Chia seeds are rich in healthy fats and fibre. Both types of seeds can be added to smoothies, sprinkled on salads or soups, or incorporated into keto-friendly crackers, muffins, or pancakes.
• Oily fish: Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, anchovies, and sardines are great additions to the keto diet as they are rich in omega-3 fats and protein.
• Olives and olive oil: Olives and olive oil are loaded with heart-healthy fats and vitamin E. Olives make for a convenient snack and can be tossed into salads. Olive oil can be drizzled over grilled or sautéed veggies or used as a base for dressings or marinades.
• Coconuts and coconut oil: Coconuts and coconut oil are popular keto fat sources as they provide medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which the body can easily absorb and use. Add unsweetened coconut flakes to smoothies or use full-fat coconut milk for curries.
• Full-fat Greek yogurt: Although it contains some carbs, full-fat Greek yogurt can be a healthy addition to the keto diet. It provides beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics, which promote healthy digestive function.

When choosing fats for the keto diet, it is important to limit artificial trans fats, processed meats, fried foods, and sources of saturated fat, such as red meat, butter, and dairy. Instead, focus on unsaturated fats, which have been linked to a reduced risk of mortality and lower cholesterol levels.

Make lean protein choices

Lean proteins are an important part of a healthy diet, and they can be especially beneficial for those looking to lose weight or maintain their weight. Here are some tips to make lean protein choices:

Understand the Benefits of Lean Protein

Lean proteins are an essential part of a balanced diet and can aid in weight loss and weight maintenance. They help you feel fuller for longer, curbing cravings and reducing overall calorie intake. Additionally, lean proteins provide essential amino acids that our bodies rely on for various functions, including muscle repair and regeneration.

Choose a Variety of Lean Protein Sources

Incorporating a variety of lean protein sources into your diet ensures you get a range of other essential nutrients. Some good options include:

• Skinless chicken breast
• Fish, such as salmon, tuna, shrimp, and cod
• Lean beef cuts, such as sirloin
• Eggs
• Low-fat dairy products, such as Greek yogurt and low-fat cheese
• Plant-based sources like tofu, beans, lentils, and nuts

Watch Your Portion Sizes

It's important to be mindful of your portion sizes when it comes to lean protein. As a general rule of thumb, one serving of lean protein should be approximately the size of your palm. This can vary depending on your weight, age, and physical activity levels, so it's always a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional or nutritionist to determine your specific needs.

Prepare and Cook Lean Proteins Healthily

The way you prepare and cook your lean proteins can also make a difference. Here are some tips:

• Opt for grilling, baking, or steaming instead of frying.
• Choose healthier cooking oils, such as olive oil or avocado oil.
• Avoid adding too much butter or high-fat sauces to your lean proteins.

Include Lean Proteins in Every Meal

To maximize the benefits of lean protein, aim to include a source at every meal. This will help you stay fuller for longer and make healthier food choices throughout the day. For example, you can start your day with an egg-white omelet or Greek yogurt with fruit. At lunch and dinner, include a serving of lean meat or fish, such as grilled chicken or baked salmon.

Read Labels and Track Your Protein Intake

When choosing packaged lean proteins, be sure to read the nutrition labels carefully. Look for options that are lower in overall fat and saturated fat. Additionally, consider using a food journal or an app to track your protein intake, ensuring you're getting an adequate amount each day.

Pick the right fruits and vegetables

Combining keto and Weight Watchers can be challenging, but it is possible. Both keto and Weight Watchers are beneficial for weight loss and living a healthy lifestyle. Keto is a high-fat, low-carb diet, while Weight Watchers focuses on caloric portion control.

When combining the two, it is important to focus on choosing healthy fats. Opt for healthier oils such as olive and coconut oil, and avocados, instead of cheese and butter. Leaner cuts of protein such as fish, chicken, turkey, and pork are also recommended.

The right fruits and vegetables are key to success when combining keto and Weight Watchers. While vegetables are zero points on Weight Watchers, you still need to be mindful of portions as they contain calories. Stick to salads, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and other lower-carb vegetables. Cauliflower, for example, has 29g of carbs per head, so keep portions in mind.

When it comes to fruits, most are too high in carbs to be regularly included in your diet during the weight loss phase. The exception is berries such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, salmon berries, and blueberries.

Remember, when combining keto and Weight Watchers, the goal is to keep your carb intake low, typically under 30 carbs per day. Skip the processed food and opt for healthier, fresher, whole foods.

Don't worry about being too strict

Combining keto and Weight Watchers can be more restrictive than following Weight Watchers alone. However, it can also accelerate your results. If you have a lot of weight to lose, have hit a plateau, or are looking for more mental clarity, combining the two could be a good option.

That being said, you may find it challenging to strictly follow both programs simultaneously. Weight Watchers is a lower-fat diet, while keto is the opposite. The differences in fat content are significant, and you may find yourself going over your daily points when following keto.

The most important thing is to focus on your health goals. You don't need to be overly strict with combining keto and Weight Watchers. Instead, focus on making wise choices and reducing your overall carb intake. Many people have found success by simply aiming for less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, rather than the more restrictive 20 grams recommended by keto.

• Choose healthier fats: Instead of unlimited butter or cheese, opt for healthier fats like olives, coconut oil, avocado, and leaner cheese options. These will still provide your body with the fats it needs, but you can consume them in smaller portions without exceeding your points on Weight Watchers.
• Make lean protein choices: Choose lean proteins like turkey, chicken, and leaner cuts of pork or beef. These options are lower in fat, which can help you stay within your points on Weight Watchers while maintaining ketosis.
• Select the right vegetables and fruits: Add a hearty salad or a side of cauliflower or broccoli to your meals. These vegetables are low in carbohydrates while still providing essential nutrients. When it comes to fruit, stick to berries, as they tend to be lower in sugars and carbohydrates.
• Focus on portion control: Both keto and Weight Watchers emphasize the importance of portion control. Learn about your body's caloric needs and focus on consuming less than what your body needs to burn. This will help you stay within a healthy range and promote weight loss.

Understand the principles of each diet

Understanding the Principles of Weight Watchers and Keto

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers, now rebranded as WW, is a popular commercial diet program that has been around for decades. It is a flexible, points-based system that encourages an overall balanced lifestyle. It is not a restrictive fad diet but rather a sustainable lifestyle change. The program is designed to support long-term, slow and steady weight loss. It is not a quick-fix solution.

The core of WW is its points-based system, which gives subscribers a daily budget of points that they can use towards the foods they eat. Each food's point value takes into consideration not only calories but also added sugars, fiber, protein, and fats. This system encourages healthier food choices and curbs overeating.

There are three color-coded programs that subscribers can choose from based on their weight loss needs: Green, Blue, and Purple. These plans differ in the number of SmartPoints allowed per day and the number of ZeroPoint foods included. ZeroPoint foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein, and subscribers can eat as much of these as they like without tracking or measuring.

Keto

The ketogenic diet, or keto, is a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet. It is not a commercial diet program but rather an eating pattern. On keto, the body enters a state called ketosis, where it burns fat instead of carbohydrates as its primary source of fuel. This metabolic state is achieved by drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat.

The standard ketogenic diet (SKD) typically contains 70% fat, 20% protein, and only 10% carbs. There are other variations of the keto diet, including the cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD), which involves periods of higher-carb refeeds, and the targeted ketogenic diet (TKD), which allows for adding carbs around workouts.

Keto is often used for weight loss and blood sugar management. It can lead to significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels, which can be beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes. It may also have benefits for other health conditions, including heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and epilepsy.

On the keto diet, foods that are high in carbs should be limited or eliminated. This includes sugary foods, grains, starches, most fruits, beans, legumes, root vegetables, low-fat or diet products, certain condiments, unhealthy fats, alcohol, and sugar-free diet foods.

Instead, the majority of meals on keto should consist of meat, fatty fish, eggs, butter, cream, cheese, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, avocados, and low-carb vegetables.

Frequently asked questions