Day 9: Wait... Day 9?

I’ll start out by explaining the name of this blog post. I’ve been trying to do a staggered update, so that I’m always a day ahead of the actual blog (which started after I first logged in to Wii Fit), but with weekend and contextual info (such as the vacation I took this last weekend) screwing with that formula, I’m just going off the original Wii Fit day counter, which had my first day as Monday, May 19. That’s when it all began, so for those checking back in, that’s why this is Day 9. All updates from here on out will be talking about the previous night, and the actual day I’m updating. As for the actual amount of days, nothing changes. It's still 30 days... I'm just counting them according to the Wii Fit calendar day, not "Update #4 = Day #4."

Anyhoo, let’s dive on in!



So this weekend was pretty crazy. I had a chance to take Friday off, and then made the most of our long weekend to head up to San Jose with the family on a trip. As I’m sure you all know, trips can be hell on diets and workout schedules, so it was pretty interesting to go when I was just kicking off this Wii Get Fit blog, trying to work out and prevent weight rubber-banding, and keep up for the 30-day trial. Without bringing Wii Fit along to the hotel (not that we were there anyways, as this weekend was a constant “on the move” kind of vacation), I was very, very worried to see how my BMI and current weight loss to date was going to look this morning.

I was pretty pleasantly surprised.

Over the weekend we had stopped at some pretty poor eating establishments. Delicious, yeah, but poor for the situation. I had to make use of a grilled chicken sandwich at McDonalds, cut over to wheat pasta at a Spaghetti Factory, and even go very, very light on a slice of pizza. Needless to say, I thought I would be pouring on the weight, so my nights at the hotel were spent doing yoga poses I learned from Wii fit to warm up – along with push-ups, side planks, and thrusts – and some running. Friday’s update (which sadly was missed due to longer travel time up to San Jose from LA) would have shown you yet another drop in my pounds lost by about two, but coming back from my weekend showed that I managed to keep to my Wii Fit regimen despite having a daily weigh-in.

Here are the results as of this morning:

The Stats:
Day: 9
BMI: 38.38
BMI Change: - 1.04 (from 39.42 on 5/21)

Weight Change: – 10.3 lbs (From day 1)

There was a bit of a gap in updates due to the really long weekend (Friday I was out, and Monday all of IGN was out), but the results thus far are pretty solid. Since the beginning of this Wii Get Fit challenge on May 19 (nine days ago) I’ve been able to drop just over ten pounds.



I’d say it’s high time for a progress report from yours truly, so here it goes.

From what I’ve found so far, Wii Fit works on very specific levels, and in that sense, it’s certainly a success. Wii Fit is an accountability partner, it has great tips for wellness, it’s an amazing stat tracker, and it’s a solid teacher for things like Yoga and strength training. The games are fun, they help hook people and get them off the couch, and it’s a pretty impressive piece of software to pair with a workout regimen.

What it’s missing, however, is a lot of the stronger calorie-burning activities. Sure you can run in place or hula hoop for a while, but when it really comes to getting your heart-rate up for an extended period of time, I’ve had to add outside activities to really get it done. Part of Wii Get Fit is all about losing weight, but the other part is about putting the game itself to the test, and for anyone out there currently using – or thinking about purchasing – Wii Fit, I’d say you need to combine not only what the game offers, but also some outside activities. This isn’t some magic machine that causes you to lose weight via ski jumps and soccer ball mini-games. It’s one heck of a tool, but I’m glad I’m combining running with it in order to burn calories in addition to balance, stretching, strength and endurance testing that Wii Fit offers. It really is needed.

And with that, I’m going to sign off on this blog post. As always, leave your comments below – especially any other findings from people using Wii Fit, and how you’ve kept keep your heart rate up and burn calories – and I’ll see you after a quick run at the gym, some more yoga, and a light dinner.

-Boz

http://blogs.ign.com/WiiGetFit/2008/05/27/91198/

related thread: (NSFW warning) Why every guy should buy their girlfriend Wii Fit!!!

He lost 10lbs in 9 days? Less actually considering his vacation. Truly impressive. If stories like this get out to the mass market there will be no stopping Wii Fit.

Wow, that is amazing. I hope it get's to the public so more people buy wii fit, and wiis.

That's great news.. and, lets face it, there are a lot of gamers who could stand to lose a few pounds.

400lbs - 390 lbs, lol. Hopefully people see that not all gamers are 100% lazy, although I still am =)

While it's great that he's losing weight and all, can losing a pound a day really be healthy?

you know what, if this is what it takes for some people to get into exercising regularly, so be it. It's not the approach i'd take but this sounds like it might actually get people into regular exercise along with taking their health seriously. It might even propel lifelong lifestyle changes. How many games can attest to that?

10 pounds in 9 days?? im guessing he starved himself or did something to distort the results.

I am on day 8, and down 7 pounds.

... A BMI of 38?

I have a BMI around 19...WOW...