Is The Keto Diet Better Than Weight Watchers?

In the weight loss dieting world, there are two camps that are talked about repeatedly, Weight Watchers and the keto diet.

Although their respective approaches to weight loss are very different, both methods have a very large following due to their results. A lot of dieters report successfully losing weight from both diets.

In this article we’re going to review the way each diet works, each diet’s pros and cons, and which diet is better for weight loss and you.

What is Weight Watchers?

Weight Watchers is a commercial diet program that has been popular for decades. Its core concept is moderation and portion control allowing its followers to eat any type of food they wish to eat.

With Weight Watchers you’re given a daily number of SmartPoints and, based on your weight loss goals, assigns you to 1 of 3 color-coded programs:

• Green – Allotted the greatest number of daily SmartPoints, plus 100+ ZeroPoint foods (chiefly fruit and vegetables).
• Blue – Allowed a moderate number of daily SmartPoints and 200+ ZeroPoint foods (adding lean proteins to the fruits and vegetables).
• Purple – Allotted the fewest number of daily SmartPoints, and 300+ ZeroPoint foods (grains, lean protein, fruits, and vegetables).

Generally, the lower SmartPoint foods are lower in fats, sugars, and calories while being higher in protein and fiber. The foods with a higher SmartPoint value are usually higher in fats, sugars, and calories, think deep-fried foods, ice cream, or especially fatty meats.

So consuming high SmartPoint foods will quickly eat up your daily allocation of SmartPoints.

Additionally, Weight Watchers is a paid diet program. There are different tiers of support available for the dieter to choose from. Once bought you’ll have access to their tracking app with all its tools.

You can learn about Weight Watchers’ three plans and their one-on-one coach program on their website.

Does Weight Watchers work?

Many studies concluded that Weight Watchers helps dieters to lose weight. But you need to know that Weight Watchers funded a lot of those studies and that may have an influence on the results.

One of the studies funded by Weight Watchers found that the dieters following the Weight Watchers system lost more than twice the weight of the control group in 3 months. They also found that the people using Weight Watchers were more likely to have kept the weight off after one year had passed.

Another Weight Watchers financed study of nearly 30,000 learned the average dieter lost ~6 lbs in 3 months. About two of three dieters lost at least five percent of their weight.

Weight Watchers summary

Weight Watchers built around moderation and portion size. It is a paid program using a point system to encourage healthier food choices. Weight Watchers appears to be an effective way to lose weight based on several studies, many of which were funded by Weight Watchers.  Additionally, there are a lot of products on the market in support of Weight Watchers.

What is a keto diet?

A keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet that was originally developed to assist in the management of epilepsy. Now keto is used for many reasons including weight loss and managing blood sugar levels.

Keto isn’t a commercial dieting program like Weight Watchers is, it’s more of an eating lifestyle. When a person stays on the keto diet they enter a state of ketosis where their body runs on fat instead of carbohydrates as its primary energy source.

There are many metabolic advantages for people losing weight with a keto diet:

• • lower insulin levels and better control of blood sugar
  • a diminished appetite
  • it becomes easier to use stored body fat
  • better maintenance of one’s metabolic rate (fewer calories burned while at rest)

Because the keto diet is low in carbohydrates and sugars you have to avoid foods like these: grains, root vegetables, sweets, sugary drinks, and most fruit.

However, you’re free to eat: meat, fish, poultry, non-starchy vegetables, seeds, nuts, fatty dairy products, low sugar fruits like most berries.

Does a keto diet work for weight loss?

Yes, keto is known to work for short-term weight loss.

Many studies have researched how successful the keto diet is for weight loss and management.

One study of people who were obese with type 2 diabetes found that those who followed the keto diet lost much more weight than those following a standard low-carb diet after four months. Of those being studied, 90% of the group following keto lost 5% or more of weight and over 80% lost 10% of their weight.

A different group of studies comparing a keto diet to a low-fat diet discovered that those who followed the keto diet lost significantly more weight than those following the low-fat diet.

Keto diet summary

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb, diet that can be used to lose weight by using your stored fat to energize your body. It seems to cause significantly more weight loss compared to either the standard low calorie or low-carb diets.

Pros & cons of keto and Weight Watchers

Both dieting methods can be said to have benefits beyond losing and controlling weight.

The Pros

Weight Watcher Pros

Weight Watchers has a long and proven record of success. One of Weight Watchers pros is its practice of moderation and portion control which is easier than calorie counting. They also teach you to make better food choices in the long run.

Even if you choose to leave the program you’ll be able to apply what you’ve learned to continue making good food choices.

Weight Watchers includes a support network in all of their programs providing access to its member’s virtual community. There are also face-to-face meetings and one-on-one coaching available.

Keto pros

The keto diet has a number of benefits as well. One of the most touted benefits is how quickly the weight comes off when following the keto diet for many reasons:

Being in a state of ketosis appears to have a satiating effect causing the dieter to consume fewer calories.

Then there’s the way a keto diet can reduce insulin levels. Since insulin is the hormone that signals your body to store excess energy as fat, it becomes easier for your body to convert its fat stores into useful energy when the insulin levels are reduced. It’s also the regulator of blood sugar helping to curb cravings.

There have been cases where a person with type 2 diabetes has dramatically reduced their dependence on insulin and other diabetes medications because of the increased control of their blood sugar.

Summary of pros

While a keto diet may assist in improving blood sugar levels, increase your satiation, and helps you to lose weight quickly, Weight Watchers includes a support system and encourages portion control and moderation.

The Cons

Weight Watchers cons

A big con of Weight Watchers is its cost. Even though it’s not too expensive when you break it down to a cost per week, it can add up. Especially if you sign up for one of the more costly plans and you stay in the program for very long.

Being tied to the SmartPoint system you may inadvertently be discouraged from eating some foods that are healthy (i.e., avocados, healthy fats and oils, healthy dairy products, etc.) just because of the number of calories or fat.

Keto cons

There are some obstacles to a keto diet. Being a significant change away from the standard American diet it can be hard to stay with a keto diet over the long haul, especially during the holiday or on vacation.

A keto will also exclude some healthy foods too:

• • • most fruits
    • legumes
    • grains
    • potatoes and other root vegetables

Summary of cons

Because it’s a paid program, the cost of Weight Watchers can add up over time. However, it may be hard to stay on a keto diet since it’s so restrictive.

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Is keto or Weight Watchers better for weight loss?

Either diet could help you lose weight in the short term. Which one is better depends on each person’s needs and goals?

You might prefer Weight Watchers if you:

• • want the flexibility to eat whatever you want to
  • like, want, or need the Weight Watchers support systems to stay on track and motivated
  • are ok with paying a subscription for the program

Taking the keto route could be for you if:

• • managing blood sugar is a priority for you
  • make healthier decisions with limited food choices is easier for you
  • you can diet without a support network, or are ok building your own network (think Facebook groups)

At the end of the day

Both keto and Weight Watchers have their own lists of pros and cons. Which one is the fit for you will depend on your weight goals, as well as your own personal needs and preferences.

Obviously, these diets are quite different from each other. Weight Watchers is a paid program that’s structured around moderation and portion control. With this program, you manage what you eat by spending SmartPoints. Weight Watchers does have a built-in support system for each of its subscription levels.

In contrast, a keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet designed to get your body into a state of ketosis. Ketosis makes it easier for your body to use its stored fat for energy.

Either diet will deliver weight loss, but for a number of reasons, you may prefer one over the other.

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