In my editorial for the November Better Software, I use the string of numbers at the top of my blog as an example of a big visible chart. They've helped me lose about 25 pounds. Especially once I started meeting people who told me they tracked them, my impulse to show the world steady progress remained strong for about 20 of those 25 pounds. (I've even met someone who said he was inspired to do the same with his blog.)

More recently, progress has been more fitful, as can be seen by the abundance of red. (Green means I've lost at least two pounds in the week, red means I've lost some but not enough, and bolded red means I've gained weight.) My just-ended three-week trip (to PNSQC, RubyConf, OOPSLA, and a client site) did special damage. Naturally, I did that damage just as the November issue is being mailed. But next week will be green.