The dangerous lag-time syndrome

It's the "lag time" phenomenon of weight gain.  You've experienced it.  You quit weighing yourself for a few days (or weeks), but your clothes still seem to fit the same.  When you finally do weigh yourself, you find out you've gained nine pounds since you last stepped on the scale.  For a few fleeting moments, or even days, you can live in blissful denial again, thinking, "I gained weight but my small clothes still fit me.  Hmmm... Maybe I don't need to be so careful after all."

Then you wash your jeans.  When you put them back on, you find they don't fit like before.  They don't slip on easily like they used to.  The waist is tighter, your thighs are bigger, and the pants are shorter.  You can still wear this size....but not comfortably.  You blame the dryer, until you realize the problem isn't clothing shrinkage.  It's the weight you gained back.  It doesn't show up in your clothing fit right away.  By the time it does, you may be in real trouble.

There's one sure way to prevent this from happening.  Weigh every day.  Same time.  Same clothes.  As soon as you become accountable to yourself via the scale, your urge to eat will decrease, almost like magic.