Many people today struggle to determine which diet works best for them. Two popular diets stand out among the myriad of options: Weight Watchers and Keto. While both diets can help people shed unwanted pounds, they are fundamentally different. Weight Watchers takes a more traditional approach by assigning points to foods based on their nutritional value. Keto drastically limits carbohydrates to encourage the body to burn fat for fuel. Suppose you’re trying to decide between Weight Watchers vs Keto. In that case, this article will help you understand the differences between the two diets to find the most effective and sustainable approach to help you reach your goals. While both diets can help you lose weight, Cal AI’s calorie tracker can help you uncover the approach that may work best for you. How to Hit Your Macros. This user-friendly tool tracks your calories and macros to help you understand how different foods fit into your diet, regardless of which plan you choose.
Weight Watchers, now called WW, is a popular commercial diet program that has been around for decades. It’s built around moderation and portion size, allowing followers to include any type of food they want in their diet. WW assigns you a daily SmartPoints allotment and places you in one of three color-coded programs based on your weight loss needs. Here’s a brief overview of the colors:
Foods that are lower in SmartPoints tend to be lower in calories, fat, and sugar and higher in fiber and protein. High-point foods, like French fries, ice cream, or fatty meats, are typically high in calories, fat, or sugar. While you can include high-point foods, they’ll quickly use up your daily SmartPoints allotment. WW is also a paid program. There are different tiers based on the level of support provided. With purchase, you can access the WW tracking app and its included tools.
WW is effective for weight loss. Several studies have found that WW helps people lose weight. However, it’s important to note that WW funded many of these studies directly or indirectly, which may have influenced results. In one WW-funded study of 279 people, researchers found that those using the WW program lost more than double the weight of a control group in 3 months. The WW participants were also more likely to have maintained their weight loss 1 year later.
Another large WW-funded study, including over 29,000 people, found that, on average, participants lost about 6 pounds (3 kg) in 12 weeks. Two-thirds of participants were able to lose at least 5% of their body weight.
The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet that people used to help manage epilepsy. People now use it for various other purposes, including weight loss and blood sugar management. Unlike WW, keto is not a commercial diet program but an eating pattern. In ketosis, your body enters a state in which you burn fat, rather than carbs, as your primary source of fuel. This offers a number of potential metabolic advantages for people who are trying to lose weight:
The keto diet is low in carbs and sugars, so when you’re on it you need to avoid foods like:
You can safely include:
Like WW, the keto diet appears to be effective for short-term weight loss. Several studies have investigated its success for weight management. A study including 89 people with type 2 diabetes and obesity found that participants following a keto diet lost significantly more weight and had higher reductions in their waist circumference after 4 months than people following a standard low-calorie diet.
Keto Weight Loss StudiesOver 90% of the participants in the keto group lost at least 5% of their body weight during the study, and over 80% lost at least 10%. Another review of studies, including around 1,500 people, that compared a keto diet with a low-fat diet found that the weight losses of those in the keto group were significantly greater than those of the low-fat group, at least until a 2-year follow-up.
Keto is a low-carb, high-fat diet that makes it easier to burn your stored body fat for fuel. It may result in significantly more weight loss compared with a standard low-calorie diet.
Both Weight Watchers and keto share a strong focus on food tracking. Weight Watchers uses a points system that assigns food values based on nutritional content. The keto diet requires rigid carb counting to help induce ketosis, a metabolic state that burns fat for fuel instead of glucose from carbs.
Losing weight can reduce health risks like high blood pressure, heart attacks, and certain cancers. For people with excess weight, both the keto diet and Weight Watchers can help lower diabetes risk. A review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2022 found that the keto diet could help with:
Another 2022 review showed the keto diet could also lower triglyceride levels in the short term. Triglycerides are fats in your blood, and high levels can increase your risk of heart disease.
Research on Weight Watchers also points to health benefits. A 2018 study showed that the program effectively helps people access diabetes prevention programs and achieve weight loss that lowers their risk of diabetes.
Within both keto and Weight Watchers, there's room to make healthy food choices among permitted foods. It's also possible to obsess over keto carb counts or Weight Watchers food points and sacrifice nutritional variety.
"Weight Watchers requires decision-making to determine the point values of foods and regularly tracking and planning to ensure you are on track with your allotted point values each day," says Missouri-based registered dietitian Lindsay Cohen. Weight Watchers focuses less on fats versus carbs, and instead on overall nutrient intake, notes Hulse.
Cohen says, "The keto diet focuses on drastically reducing carb intake to induce ketosis. Cutting out or limiting foods like grains, fruits, and starchy vegetables while emphasizing:
When it comes to support, Weight Watchers has keto beat. If you're looking for fellow keto followers, you can easily make informal connections online. If you value structured support, Weight Watchers has you covered. Support offered via multi-modal access is a hallmark of the Weight Watchers plan. This support may come through:
Weight Watchers is a membership program that charges monthly fees:
It's important to note the Weight-Loss Medications Plan does not include the cost of medications.
The keto diet itself doesn't require a program or specific costs. If you follow a particular keto program, such as a meal delivery service, there are associated costs priced by meal or portion. Some individuals might spend more on certain keto-friendly foods than on other diet types, like:
One major difference in health benefits is that the ketogenic diet has been studied more extensively in other areas. It began as a medical approach for controlling seizures in some patients with hard-to-treat epilepsy. Research also shows the keto diet as a promising treatment for neurological conditions such as:
Some studies suggest the keto diet might help boost the effects of chemo and radiation therapy when used with standard cancer treatments.
Weight Watchers claims on its website that you can shed 3.5 times more weight on its program. This is based on a 6-month study comparing the program to standard nutritional guidelines.
Studies published in 2015 and 2018 showed that people in the Weight Watchers in-person program lost between 3.1% and 5.5% of their weight after 12 months, which was significantly more than those who didn't join the program.
A 2017 study published in The Lancet found that a 52-week Weight Watchers program led to a weight loss of 6.76 kilograms (about 15 pounds), which was more effective than the 12-week program, which resulted in 4.75 kilograms (about 10.5 pounds) of weight loss."People lose weight on the keto diet, and many see significant changes quickly, contributing to its popularity," says Colon. "However, many who lose weight on the keto diet often regain it over time, as maintaining the diet long-term can be challenging."
Keto Short-Term Studies
Much of the research on the keto diet for weight loss is based on short-term studies, often lasting 12 months or less. A 2020 Nutrients review of 14 studies found that the keto diet helped people with overweight or obesity lose weight. On average, people with diabetes lost 7.78 kilograms (about 17 pounds). People without diabetes lost 3.81 kilograms (about 8.4 pounds).
With keto's sharp carb restrictions, plant-based foods are excluded or drastically limited. These include:
These foods contain fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, which are good-for-you plant compounds with:
Diets with higher fat content, like keto, can pose risks for heart health. The keto diet may not be indicated for people with certain medical disorders and is not considered safe for those with liver or kidney conditions. Hormonal changes may include dramatic effects on:
The use of keto for people with diabetes, especially among those taking insulin, remains controversial.
Due to its highly restrictive nature, the keto diet comes with more risks. "Risks include possible digestive issues due to low fiber intake, nutrient deficiencies, kidney stones, and elevated cholesterol," says Cohen.
As your body adjusts to ketosis, you may experience the 'keto flu,' which involves symptoms such as:
Although no serious risks or side effects have been reported with Weight Watchers, it's not considered safe for everyone. Children under 18 can no longer sign up for the program because of the potential for unhealthy fixation on weight and dieting in this age group.
Pregnant women and people with a current medical diagnosis of an eating disorder should not participate, either. It's always wise to talk to your doctor before starting any weight-loss program.
If you want quick weight loss and fewer food decisions, keto might work better for you. On the other hand, if you prefer sustainable weight loss over time, a strong support system and more flexibility with your food choices, WeightWatchers may be a better fit.
Ultimately, your weight-loss plan should consider several factors, such as your:
“Asking yourself what type of diet you prefer is helpful for finding an eating plan you’ll enjoy and sustain,” says Dr. Caroline Cederquist, MD, a bariatric medicine specialist at Cederquist Medical Wellness Center in Naples, FL. What you don’t have to do is follow something because it’s trendy or because your coworker or friend said it worked for them. This is about you.
Cal AI's simple interface makes tracking your macros a breeze. Snap a photo of your meal or snack, and our advanced AI technology does the rest. No more tedious manual logging! Cal AI gives you accurate nutritional information in under 15 seconds. Plus, our AI learns from your feedback, continuously improving its accuracy.
