Knowledge is Power

My weight on Mars (July 2013). That makes 927 reasons to go to Mars.

There really is still only one rule, I promise. But, just as every law requires regulations to implement it, so too that One Rule requires a few guidelines to have it's maximum impact.

Guideline, The First (Primus):

Get on a scale at least once a week. Knowing how far you've gone requires knowing where you started. If you're the overly analytical sort (like me) you can do it more often; however, in that case, you must keep a careful record and look at the trend over several days, as your weight can easily vary by several pounds just based on varying degrees of hydration and the physical weight of food still in your digestive tract.

Regardless of how often you weigh yourself, in order for the comparisons to be meaningful, it's important that the circumstances be as uniform as possible. First thing in the morning with no clothes and an empty bladder, is usually the easiest. Even then, be aware that water retention can vary from day-to-day if your salt and/or water intake varies (water weighs 8.3lbs/gallon).

My own... personal... nightmare

It may seem innocent, but a simple bathroom scale can be one of the most terrifying objects imaginable. Hyperbole aside, it was certainly an emotional experience for me getting on a scale for the first time in several years. It was made even more so by the need to hunt down a scale that would accommodate my (quarter-)tonnage. But in the end, it had to be done and I'm better for the experience and knowledge.

You can do it!

Saved By a Belle

"Wait! Did you really just say that?" That was my first thought when I suddenly realized that I wasn't being looked at as the fat guy. Others often see changes in us that we can't see for ourselves. In my mind I was still the ogre, not worthy of a second glance from such a beauty. 

I'd made it over the Smokey Mountains and across the Great Plains only to find yet more mountains in my path. Progress was slow and motivation subsiding. The urge to settle was great. My original purpose of ensuring I didn't die young and miss out on tomorrow had been met. What I needed -- and now had -- was a reason to climb for a better today.

Find your reason, it doesn't have to be a big thing. Long-term goals are great, but the short-term ones are what keep you from settling for the first comfortable resting spot along the way. It helps if that goal is more than just a number. Numbers are too easy to give up on. How do you want to feel? What do you want to look like? What do you want to be able to do? Numbers aren't important; it's how achieving your goal makes you feel that counts. Imagine your destination and keep going until you get there.

You can do it!