The X-Factor Of Any Diet

 I'm not gonna sit here and over simplify All of the different mechanics and The variables on gaining and losing weight. It's too many people are more prone to weight gain, while some people can eat everything you put in front of them, and they stay slim without ever working out, metabolism, plays a big role, genetics, and thousands of other variables, so with that said, take what I'm saying, with a grain of salt, and realize there's much more involved in maintaining your weight. With that said, I'll say that while there are many variables in weight maintenance, or if you want to gain, or lose weight, I feel the factor is starch. Many people focus on calories, they try to burn more calories than they take in, and they do it usually everything that they consume, and then, either writing down, or, using a smart watch to tell them how many calories they have burned. And to be honest, that's a pretty good way to go about it, but since we probably both know hundreds of people who have been doing it this way for years, and they just can't seem to get a hold of reaching their ideal, ideal for them, weight

Through out my martial arts, and athletic career I have had to maintain my weight, put on weight, and lose weight. I have monitored calories, macros, food portions. I have been on low-carb, high, fat, diets, high protein, high carbohydrate, low-fat diets I have been on diet where they blocked out your macro nutrients, Restricted my fluid intake, I have even put on a plastic suit, a sweatsuit, and a down jacket, and run 5 miles to try to lose water weight. Along with doing these things myself, I have also helped my athletes gain, but usually lose weight. i've gone so far as locking them in a sauna to sweat off an extra 2 pounds, restricted their water consumption for over 24 hours, I even shaved someone's head to lose an extra quarter of a pound. I'm not telling you these things to brag, I'm telling you these things to show you that, I have been maintaining, losing, and even gaining weight for the past 50 years.  And even more importantly, I have been training some of the best fighters on the planet, from Golden glove boxers to UFC champions, I have helped hundreds of fighters, lose and cut weight. No matter how fancy things get, there's always an ex-factor to maintaining your weight.

While I think calories in calories out is always the golden rule of any diet, starch is the X factor. What I mean by that is, you could cut other fat, protein, carbohydrates, or calories, you can mix them up in hundreds of different ways and name, then rename basically the same diet hundreds of times. I think this would make the biggest difference in any diet. If you want to gain weight increase your starch intake, if you wanna lose weight, decrease your starch intake.  There are a lot of physiological factors that caused this, but right now I'm just gonna talk about decades of experience, training, top level fighters, and trying to maintain my own weight. I know ice cream and cake and candy, and other sugary treats is a culprit for some people, but I think while the average person with a sweet tooth loves candy, I honestly don't think people get that off of Candy, or even cakes.  I just don't think they eat enough of it to actually move the needle that much. I don't think we hear of many people getting fat off of steak, eggs, or chicken either. I just don't think people eat enough of protein for it to be the main culprit. We could talk about fats, causing people to be "fat". Again, I don't think people eat a large enough quantity of butter or oils, or even avocado to make them fat. Now we will come to the macro, carbohydrates. Not too long ago. People spent all their time, talking about the dangers of fats in their diet, and that that was the true evil, but that's been replaced by carbs. What do you think Makes people so scared of carbs now? I don't think many people get obese or sick eating too many vegetables or salads. Fruit is high in sugar, but I honestly don't think people eat a big enough quantity of fruit to move the needle in getting too fat, or even unhealthy for that matter. I think overall vegetables are much healthier than fruits, but I still honestly don't believe the average American eats enough fruit to make a huge difference, so again, why all the carb hate?  

I think the carb hate, or fear anyway, hate is such a ugly word.  But like I said, it has definitely earned his reputation of going from such a healthy food. According to our government, FDA, and even thousands of health experts, were singing in the praises of carbohydrates, while hating on fat and protein. Mainly fat, protein doesn't get much hate, some diets are high, some are low, but protein has been a pretty neutral macro compared to fat and carb.  The carb heat is a bit unfair, because fruit and vegetables have to share the the name card, with starches not only natural starches like potatoes and rice, but let us also has to share its macro name with pastries, such as biscuits and croissants, with pasta, spaghetti, and lasagna. The latter of the carbohydrate family, starches is the true villain because of its glycemic index. Vegetables have a very low glycemic index, and they are a good way to stabilize your glucose levels, fruits, not great, but it doesn't have very many calories and people don't eat it in high quantities like they do starches. even at restaurants the waiters and waitresses bring you plenty of starches before they even serve you your meal, your meal is usually about 30 to 50% starch, then they'll serve you a dessert that's usually a mixture of starch and sugar. Could you imagine if instead of starch, they brought you vegetables before your meal, and during your meal, you only had portions of fat, protein and vegetables, then for dessert, you had a small portion of fruit only. I think if that was the average Americans idea of a typical meal, we would be the healthiest population on the planet, and we would definitely not have an obesity problem, that is an actual pandemic.

Basically, I think, in our country anyway, starches are the true culprit of almost all of our obesity and unhealthiness. Sugars not great, and either are certain fats, and I don't think carbohydrates in of themselves are bad, but starches are, and I'm sorry, carbohydrate family, starches is one of you, kinda like that perverted, drunk, nonworking fat uncle. And I also think even if we just cut out starches from our diet, we would  be an ideal weight, very healthy population.