It’s been weighing heavily on mind lately how and where Weight Watchers and Paleo intersect and if they can be complementary to each other.
You all know that I joined Weight Watchers after the birth of my son and lost 55 pounds (If not, read about it here). That is why I started this blog in the first place, to share Real Food Weight Watchers recipes for those out there like me, who need the structure of a weight loss program but aren’t willing to compromise on eating clean, real food.
I hit a plateau in my weight loss and it just seemed that no matter what I did, I couldn’t lose anymore weight.
I upped my exercise, restricted my calories even further (and was quite miserable about it), started taking a closer look at wine consumption and Point heavy meals. After months of tweaking and tweaking, it just seemed that nothing was working.
That is when I decided to try an elimination diet to see if there was something in my “healthy diet” that was affecting my blood sugar or ability to lose this last 20 pounds.
A few friends had recently completed the Whole30 and I, like everyone else, had been incessantly hearing about the magic of the Paleo Diet. I was really apprehensive about the whole Paleo thing when I first heard about it – honestly, I thought it was a crazy fad. That was just ignorance on my part for not really digging in and learning more about the science behind it.
So, in January I started to slowly eliminate a lot of grains from my diet. Then I started reading more books. Some of my favorites are It Starts With Food and Practical Paleo (highly recommend). I kept counting Points Plus and managing my portion control and did see a little bit of weight movement (down) but not as much as I was hoping for.
The more I read, the more conflicted I started to become. Weight Watchers restricts fat and calories and is all about moderation – which is a concept I really like when applied to a Whole Foods diet.
Paleo is Whole Foods, all the time, without exception. No processed anything – including grains, legumes, refined sugars and most dairy. Paleo advocates for high food quality (something I already feel strongly about) and eating to fuel your body and maintain stable blood sugar levels.
About 7 to 10 days into the Whole30, I started sleeping solidly through the night. The food cravings I used to have for crackers, chips, cheese and crunchy, salty foods were completely gone. My skin started to look bright and fresh and people were stopping me and asking me what I was doing because I looked, “so refreshed”.
Fast forward to today – I’ve done a Whole30 and have been eating 95% Paleo diet and guess what?
The dry skin I had on my hand is pretty much gone, those stubborn pounds I have been battling for months and months are coming off and most importantly – I have to say – I feel better than I have in a long time.
Am I Paleo? I don’t know. I don’t know that I need to label myself.
Am I still doing Weight Watchers? Sort of. I still have the rest of this weight to lose.
So, what does that mean?
As for Weight Watchers, I am still going to the meetings for accountability and for the most part eating “Simply Filling” minus the grains, dairy and legumes, which is Weight Watchers alternative to counting Points. If you aren’t familiar, it is basically eating real, whole foods until you are full, anything with a green triangle next to it in the food book or in eTools.
I will still provide the Points Plus for all of my recipes because I know so many of you are counting Points and I want to be able to count on me for Real Food recipes that help you eat better and get healthier!
As for Paleo, I don’t like the idea of assigning a label to myself because there will be a time where I eat dairy or grains or sugar. But as you have already seen, my recipes are getting cleaner and cleaner and more “Paleo” friendly.
I think that is a good thing thought because it means that more and more of us are eating Real Food and that has always been my mission!
Erin says
Hi. This post and comments have been helpful, but I’m still weighing my options. I’ve been mostly Paleo for about two years but have completely slipped back to old habits over the last month for some reason. I feel awful again and have lost all of the health, energy, and mood benefits I had gained from my healthy eating (and am regaining the 30 lbs. I had lost).
I am considering returning to WW as a tool to help me return to my Paleo ways. I think I had reached a plateau with Paleo and was frustrated my weight wasn’t going down more. I’ve realized that, for me, there is more to it than just making the right food choices. I still need to deal with emotional eating, comforting with food, and other food-related issues.
I used to have a lot of luck with WW and chose what I wanted to follow with the plan. I’m debating using the Simply Filling plan to keep me on Paleo while benefitting from some of the philosophy and accountability. I think I need someone encouraging me and reminding me to keep going–that I’m worth it.
I fear that WW has become more self-promoting and pushes too many of their own processed products, but I’m hoping that I can tune that stuff out. I miss weighing in regularly, feeling little victories, and being reminded about the positive choices I’m making. I figure I can eat the way that makes me feel good and not necessarily worry about the points. I may try plugging a normal day into my usual tracker and in WW to see how the points compare. Maybe I can use that figure as my daily normal since I know I’ll consume more fat and protein in my day than WW considers useful.
I also realize that if I rejoin, I can always quit if it isn’t working for me. I just know that I need to do something to get me back on track (I’m sitting here eating candy in the morning after last night’s pizza–ugh). I’m going to read that Whole30 book too! Thanks.
EverydayMaven says
Hi Erin,
I know what you mean about needing some structure and also being part of a group that is cheering each other on is very powerful. Hopefully you can figure out how to make the Simply Filling work for you and at the very least, use it as a tracking tool to get your portions back in check and think about what you are deciding to eat.
I have found that the simple act of writing down everything I eat is very useful!
Anyway, good luck and thank you for reading my site!
Dawn says
You’re the BEST. You cook the way I would if I had the time. I found you a few years ago by googling WW recipes (because theirs are awful).
We seem to have followed the same path regarding food, weight and coming to terms with how we would eat ideally vs. the real world. I love your recipes, I don’t think I’ve had a bad one yet. Keep on! And thank you!
EverydayMaven says
Thank you so much Dawn! You made my day 🙂
Mary C says
Hi, great post! I looked at a few recipes, where do you have the points plus info on recipes? Thanks!
EverydayMaven says
Hi Mary,
Right above the recipe under the title are the PP and Serving Sizes for every recipe.
Francis says
I am WW lifer)goal weght 20 years ago) but presently over my goal by 10lbs. I eat clean (paleo) most of the time but I want to lose those last 10 pounds. I haven’t followed WW program for at least 5 years. I was thinking of paleo and WW as it would help me control the amount if food I eat. Mind u I haven’t seen the current program.
I am contemplating the WHole30 program but didn’t know if I’d lose weight considering I eat clean already.
Found yr site looking for paleo and WW. Wonderful. Ill be an active reader. Thx.
EverydayMaven says
Hi Francis! I am a big proponent of the Whole30! I say go for it. Thanks for reading 🙂
Rainy1 says
Love this post. I start WW on Tuesday and was appalled by the shopping list. Fat Free and Sugar Free aren’t options for me. So, it’s nice to read that others have made WW work with real food in it’s basic state (I can create it in my kitchen).
EverydayMaven says
Right? So glad you found my site. Good luck with WW and happy cooking 🙂
EverydayMaven says
Good luck with everything Rainy! 🙂
Gabrielle says
Interesting post. It came up when I searched “can WW be paleo” lol. I’ve been eating a mostly paleo diet for a few years but the weight is still not coming off. I was hoping to combine the healthy eating with the points system and see if I can make it happen. Glad you mentioned Practical Paleo. Diane goes to my gym. Great book and great person. Highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about the paleo lifestyle. It’s the best book out there right now.
EverydayMaven says
Hi Gabrielle! There are so many variables to consider that can affect weight loss. I think it is inherently difficult to combine them but not impossible. If you do it – good luck and I hope you see results! 🙂
Sirina says
EverydayMaven,
Sometimes I find food challenging. I really like to eat what I like, but I can skip a meal with no problems. I don’t have a huge sweet tooth, but I love bread. I’m trying to find a happy medium. Can you mix Paleo and Weight Watchers for a more balance lifestyle?
Erica says
I’m so excited to find you. I have 35 of the 50 pounds I gained when pregnant 15+ years ago. I lost most of it and gained it back when adopting my second and trying to get her past her failure to thrive (the hormones and anxiety work hard then too). Somehow I ended up snacking on cheese and forgetting all my former willpower. I have always been susceptible to overeating, staying up late and sabotaging daytime diets, and eating for texture without any satiation. I have learned to eat mostly paleo and see that as really good for my metabolism and my skin. Plus, I am a livestock farmer, raising pastured poultry, pork and grass-fed lamb, so paleo is a great fit and really affordable for me. But I tend to eat a lot — lots of outdoor time but not a ton of time to exercise – and to eat so many calorie-dense foods just makes weight loss really hard. I get really down and then eat worse… With my 25th college reunion coming up and with plenty of time this year to cook and truly enough time to exercise if I put my mind to it, I need to get going on dieting! So I just finally rejoined WW after many years, but I was totally disheartened by the inattention to whole foods. I couldn’t even figure out how many points are in the raw milk I put in my coffee! The leader here just says “Scan the label!” Uch — no labels on a glass jar of milk from my neighbor! So I am eager to see if I can use your recipes. They look wonderful! But will they work with the new WW system? Do the points match up with the seven points I’m allowed each day, in addition to the first two-week menu? Or should I do the “old” WW? Hope you’ll see this!
EverydayMaven says
Hi Erica,
I am calculating my recipes using the Points Plus system. That is so cool that you are a livestock farmer – what state are you in? The best advice I can give you is “Think Vegetables First”. Fill your plate with a variety of vegetables and try to have a green salad at every meal (even breakfast), add a small amount of carbohydrate-rich vegetables (squash, potatoes, etc.) and a palm size portion of lean protein. Have you considered doing a Whole30? I found that the Whole30 really helped me get a sense of how much to eat within the Paleo framework and to get more comfortable eating healthy fats (coconut oil, ghee, butter, etc.). So glad you found my site and I hope my recipes work for you!
bobbi says
I just found you today, yay! (Pinterest). I am so happy I did too. Today I joined WW and my brother is on the Paleo so this article was the perfect one for me to read. I know I am late to the game, but better late than never, lol.
I am so interested in this because the crackers, salty, chips is my down fall too and I am so glad to see that you have kicked them, lol.
Thanks. I will be joining your email list.
EverydayMaven says
Hi Bobbi,
There is no such thing as late to the game. Today is a fresh start and new opportunity! So glad you will be reading and good luck on your journey 🙂
Shelley says
Thanks for your reply.
You are probably right about my metabolism.
The last 2 days I have decreased my nut consumption resulting with a couple of pounds weight loss, so I think I am just really going to have to watch portion control.
As I said before, I feel compelled to eat this way & have tried to “cheat” but can’t bring myself to do it, so my body knows what is good for it.
EverydayMaven says
Yes, nuts are one of those things that are easy to eat a lot of and very calorie and nutrient dense! I like to really limit my intake and think of them as more of an occasional food and not a daily staple.