Welcome to my island. How many times in conversation have we all said, "Wow, I would love to go to that island" or "I would love to___________(fill in the blank). That would be a dream come true!"

Well, this is my island. This is one of 'my things' that I have dreamed about. Writing an article publicly promoting health and fitness and helping you to believe in YOU. Who are YOU? Well, you are all of us. The one who is constantly trying on 5 different outfits before you find the 'right' one, the one who is looking for that pair of pants that is not too tight and does not make you look fat. This is how many of us spend a great amount of time. 'Honey, do I look fat in this?' 'I knew I shouldn't of put these in the dryer. They shrank!' Sound familiar? Sometimes we even blame the mirror. It's a fact that the majority of people struggle with weight in one way or another at some point in their lives. Putting it on is easy enough, so why is it so tough to get rid of it? I think the problem lies in too much misinformation. There are so many different people telling us so many different things that are heads should be spinning! One of the biggies of course has been low carb dieting.

Over the last few years the high protein diets have finally taken a dive. We are waking up and finally realizing that these books are all about marketing and making lots of money and not about YOU. The marketing gurus for these companies tug at your emotions and tell you what you want to hear. They get you to believe that losing ten to fifteen pounds in a week or two is a great thing and of course, that it will be easy. It's all about the scale, right? Sadly, this is what we believe. We seldom think of our overall health when it comes to weight loss. We want to lose weight fast as long as we don't have to work hard at it. This is not the way to achieve your goals of long lasting weight loss and optimal health. That is your goal, right?

Please remember these three words, 'CARBS ARE GOOD'. Carbohydrates are your number one source of energy. Carbohydrates are not only needed for energy but for brain function and muscle building in the form of glycogen. What most people believe about carbs is that they make you fat. Carbs do not make you gain weight. Too many calories and not enough physical activity is what truly make us fat. Our body needs a healthy balance of carbs, protein and fat to function properly and get all the necessary nutrients. I like to tell people to think of your body like it's your car. You give your car gas, make sure it has oil and check the fluid levels to keep it running, to take care of it. Well, your body needs you to give it carbs, protein and fat. Withholding any one of these three things will keep your body from running efficiently and even worse cause serious damage over time. This is your body we are talking about, it's important! It deserves more than a quick fix! Treat it right and it will carry through your life with boundless energy!

So, remember, it is not the carbs that cause weight gain. There is only one way to gain weight and that is to take in more energy (calories) than you use. That being said, there is only one way to lose weight and that is to use more energy (calories) than you take in. That is it folks, it's not fancy or complicated. And somehow a multi billion-dollar industry has been born out of something so simple. Let's stop this craziness and get real, the answer is right in front of you.