Introduction (A weight roller-coaster story)

Hi everyone,

I've been lurking around for a while. It's been approximately three weeks since I started going back to the gym and eating healthier again. I decided that I need to be involved in the community for extra motivation.

I'm not new to weight loss; my past has been a bit of a rollercoaster... After first year of college I was 192lbs (5'7") and looked like this:



I spent that entire summer losing the extra weight. I found my mom's old Weight Watchers books and used them to help track my points. The journalling aspect really helped me stay organized. Here I am, 4 months after the previous picture was taken. I lost a total of 33lbs, putting me at 159lbs.



I was more or less the same until Dec 2009, when my weight was back up at 173lbs. I spent several months doing intense cardio and got back down to 158lbs again. Months went by and, without realizing it, I put the weight back on.

I haven't weighed myself in months, but according to pictures, I reached a peak in Dec 2010:



Shortly after I saw that photo, I did a one week cabbage soup diet with extra protein, a ridiculous idea but it did jump-start my metabolism before I spent 5 days sight-seeing in Manhattan.

Here I am, a tiny bit lighter in early January:



I've since been tracking calories and workouts with the mfp iPhone app and eating a net of 1200-1300 calories.

Anyways, that's me. I have been focusing on inches rather than lbs, but I'm going to weigh myself tonight and hope it's not too discouraging. If it is, at least now I'll have you guys to motivate me, right?

Edit: My past and current measurements are in my blog, for anyone interested.