So, now that the competition is over I feel like I am no longer pressured to lose X amount of weight in X amount of time. But that's the problem: because I no longer feel PRESSURE, I almost don't care anymore. I want to lose more weight and I want to keep going, but I also feel pretty good about being at the size I am, but I know I don't wanna be this size forever. I think it was the pressure of the competition that kept me going at the pace that I was going, but now that that's gone I don't know how to keep myself from slipping away. How would y'all deal with that?

Maybe take a little break to maintain then go back at it in a month or so?

How about joining the challenges around the forum? Sometimes we need that little kick to get us moving

Yup, I'm a fan of short breaks too. It's a lot of work to keep on keeping on, so I view a break as a "reward" for my effort. But you know your personality......would a break help or hurt you? My thought process: "I lost 25 lbs in 3 1/2 months, I'll take a break for a couple weeks and just maintain, then go for another 25." I don't mean go completely crazy.....still gotta maintain, still drink water and exercise, and be careful not to gain, but even if I gained a pound or two, it wouldn't bother me when I just lost 25. Right now I am allowing myself some treats that I've gone without since January 1 and I'm not focusing on losing. Sometime this week, or at least by Sunday, I'm jumping back on the weight loss train. This might not work for everyone, but you gotta do what works for you. If you take a break, just make it a short one, then come back and go for onederland.....you're getting close! You can be in onederand by summer.

I guess you could take a break if you have to, but more importantly you need to find the motivation within yourself and not -need- pressure to do what's good for you.

If I read your stats correctly you are sill overweight, and that's not good for your health in the long run.

Goodluck!

its fine to feel accomplished, you should! but don't let it turn into laziness. look forward to a new goal, like someone else said..onederland by summer!

Find another competition

I had a biggest loser start in October (the day I started~) and end in January. ( I came in 3rd. stupid % instead of lbs!) I actually asked if we could have another one real soon!

I had and still have the same worries as you. There needs, for some reason, to be a concrete tangible reason for me to lose weight. Yes, there's the obvious reasons, like "get healthy" that are just vague enough to not motivate me into action.

Is there a specific date or a specific thing that is happening in the future that you can replace the contest motivation with? For example, I'm going to Orlando in the summer and want to be able to fit on the rides, so that's my new concrete motivation - to be under 200 by then.

Yeah I know it's shallowish, but it's been what works for me so far. I'm not sure what I'll do after the trip, but I'll try to make a new concrete goal maybe something like, "for Christmas I want to weigh about x because.."

Don't know if that helps any or not?

There's challenges around here?

Tbh, I think what really motivated me to lose weight this time was my best friend, who was 320 lbs, losing 50 lbs and being thinner than me. I was happy for her and I love her, but it really threw the spotlight on my failures and put the pressure on for me to lose the weight too and match her! Now that I'm doing it of course, there's a million other reasons why I can't stop. My dad has even started a diet after seeing me lose some weight and I don't want to let anyone down.

I understand the need to have pressure to achieve. I'm like that with my school work. Search for some other challenge or concrete reason for losing say, another ten pounds. Or you could always just take a break for a little while. Either way you've done fantastically.

That's a great reason! I haven't been to an amusement park since I was 260 lbs and even then the rides were a tight squeeze. Yet another reason I can't give up, lol.

I also have dealt with this too. I took a break...sadly gained a good amount back but here I am. Joined a Zumba class, stopped drinking pop, and am back on my way.