All I can do is about to get better

A former coworker had a saying for when things got too crazy at the office and we were being pulled in a thousand different directions all at once:

“All you can do is all you can do.”

Meaning, of course, that we can’t do everything or please everyone, no matter how hard we try. Our best has to be good enough.

With that being said, I know there are many days I don’t do my best. I eat a few extra carbs or I skimp on my commitment to movement (or both. Seems like they go hand in hand.)

Turns out I’m torn about the saying. When I started this post, I intended to talk about how right it was, about accepting where I am and what I can — and can’t — do. Hence, the “your best has to be good enough” statement.

But maybe that’s the problem. When it comes to diet and exercise, my best isn’t good enough … and it hasn’t been for a very long time. That’s why I’ve succeeded in regaining most of the weight I lost: I’ve been skating along, doing the “what I can, when I can” thing.

It doesn’t work.

Just this morning, Julie at Peanut Butter Fingers wrote a post about how sometimes healthy living means you have to say no.

One of my favorite parts:

Sometimes it’s a good idea to pass on another cookie. Sometimes it’s not. It’s all about daily decisions with the end goal of living a healthy and satisfying life.

The post itself is wonderful, and there’s a great conversation taking place in the comments (even if I haven’t gotten through all 196 of them yet).

The trick for me — and a lot of other folks, I imagine — is learning when and how often to say no.

That’s where Atkins helps me. Being on a low-carb diet makes it easy for me to say “yes” to whole foods and lots of veggies while saying “no” to cookies, cake, french fries and even pizza … all foods that shouldn’t be a staple of any healthy diet.

Yes, a lot of people can eat these things — in moderation. For me, when I get started on them, I can’t stop. It’s easier to avoid them altogether … at least for now. It might not always be that way. During my last stint on Atkins, I eventually was able to eat one piece of real candy without devouring the whole bag.

But that was a long time ago, when my best was a whole lot better than it has been lately.

Starting now, I’ll be ramping up my efforts. Sticking more closely to my allotted daily carbs. Walking longer — and faster.

I’m on a mission to redefine “all I can do.”

Who’s with me?