This post contains affiliate links. Most of us believe that we can only do one diet plan—Weight Watchers, or Keto, or Paleo, or Jenny Craig, or any of the myriad other weight loss programs that are out there. However, there is no reason why you can’t combine two plans, especially if both plans teach you something about yourself and give you tools so that you can keep off the weight long term.
Can I Do Paleo on Weight Watchers?
The simple answer is yes!
Why I’m Choosing to do Paleo on Weight Watchers
Each time I’ve lost weight (and yes, I’ve lost 60 pounds or more twice in my life, both times eating Paleo), I have inevitably gained it back. Currently, I am doing Paleo in conjunction with Weight Watchers because this time, I want to keep the weight off for life. To do that, I need to learn other skills besides just sticking to a Paleo diet.
What Weight Watchers Is Teaching Me
I have successfully lost weight on a Paleo diet, but I tend to gain that weight back when I go off Paleo. I’ve been using Weight Watches in addition to Paleo because it teaches me other skills:
Exercise Is Important
Before this year, I never exercised regularly. In fact, the last time I can remember exercising regularly before this was when I was pregnant with my first child 18 years ago!
However, Weight Watchers gives you a weekly goal of FitPoints to reach each week. I now walk on my treadmill about 30 minutes a day five or six days a week. Even doing that, I still don’t quite reach my FitPoints goal, so clearly Weight Watchers wants members to make exercise a regular part of their lives. Making exercise a habit is one skill Weight Watchers is helping me develop that will help me keep off the weight.
Sleep Matters
I know I thrive best on eight hours of sleep a night, but that’s hard to come by. I try to get at least 7.5 hours of sleep a night.
Weight Watchers is currently beta testing a sleep tracker. I’ve been using it for about two weeks, and I was shocked to discover that I often get even less than 7.5 hours of sleep a night. Because sleep has so many benefits, this tracker has made me realize that I need to make sleep more of a priority. Before I started tracking, I didn’t realize I was getting less than 7.5 hours of sleep several nights a week.
A Balanced Diet is Essential
All three of Weight Watchers’ current plans, Blue, Green, and Purple, make many fruits and vegetables zero points. I eat at least five to eight of those a day to keep myself satisfied, maintain healthy nutrition, and stay within my daily points amount.
Limit Fat
I’m not dietary fat phobic by any means, but I know from following Paleo previously that a Paleo diet can be high in dietary fat. That didn’t matter as much when I was younger, but now that I need to be conscious of my heart health, I also want to watch my dietary fat.
Because I have trouble eating items like coconut oil while following Weight Watchers due to the high points contents, I naturally follow a healthier fat Paleo diet. Right now, my main sources of healthy fats are olive oil, walnuts, and avocado, which I can easily fit into my diet in small amounts when following Weight Watchers.
What Weight Watchers Plan Is Best for Paleo?
I’ve tried all three Weight Watchers plans, and I have found Purple the most difficult to use when on Paleo. That is because I’m only given 16 points a day on Purple. I find eating meat and healthy fats on Purple uses up most of my points.
Green is fine, but lately, I’ve really enjoyed using Blue while following Paleo. With Blue, eggs and lean chicken are zero points. I eat those sometimes and alternate with ground beef and pork. I have no trouble staying within my daily points. In fact, I usually have all my weeklies leftover at the end of the week, and I am satisfied.
Final Thoughts
If you’re wondering if you can do Paleo on Weight Watchers, the answer is yes. For me, I find doing both programs accomplish two goals—I am losing weight consistently and I’m learning skills that will help me keep off the weight for life this time.
Read More
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Paleo Freezer Cooking Session–October 2021,
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