Final thoughts

 I have mixed feelings about Wii Fit. It was somewhat entertaining for about 30 days, but then it loses its excitement and becomes tedious. I had reoccurring injuries to my left ankle, which I believe are from running in place for 30 minutes at a time. Had I had forward momentum and the full range associated with running outside or on a treadmill, I don't think I would have kept hurting my ankle.

Because of this, I stopped doing the activities on Day 36. While I did lose some weight during that time, I think that I would have lost quite a bit more had I not been limited to doing stationary activities that only lasted 30-60 seconds.

The trainer in the game seems somewhat soulless. You hear the same voice samples over and over, and the lack of a detailed face is somewhat disturbing. I hope to see them put a little more life into the trainers. The balance board character had much more soul than the trainer.

One thing that I thought was genius was integration of Miis in the game. I had a couple of friends create a Mii on my Wii system. I could really connect (and not feel so alone) when I saw a friend run past me on the track, or excercise next to me on the Basic Step.

The boxing was one of my favorite exercises, but the experience was tarnished by the cord between the two controllers. Whenever you punch, the cord often flipped up over my hand or just got in the way. Nintendo really needs to consider making their nunchuck controller wireless.

If you are considering using Wii Fit, make sure that you have plenty of space in front of your TV to do so. Most people have a sofa or coffee table in front of the TV. I had to move my coffee table aside any time I wanted to use Wii Fit, so that was a real inconvenience. I am thrilled to finally have my living room back.

I probably won't continue using Wii Fit. It's fun for the occasional workout, but I still see it as a game and not a serious way to exercise.

I started at 232.6 lbs. and my final weigh-in was 226.2 lbs., for a loss of 6.4 lbs. I was down to about 222 lbs. but then Thanksgiving and my birthday came along and I gained a few back. Otherwise, I expect that I would be about 220 right now. I am much more conscious about watching what I eat and the need for exercise, so I will continue exercising... just not with Wii Fit.

INITIAL WEIGH-IN
Weight: 232.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.85 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 46.0% / Right 54.0%
Wii Fit Age: 34

FINAL WEIGH-IN
Weight: 226.2 lbs.
BMI: 29.03 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.9% / Right 51.1%
Wii Fit Age: 33

Day 90 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 90 WEIGH-IN

*** FINAL WEIGH-IN ***


Weight: 226.2 lbs.
BMI: 29.03 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.9% / Right 51.1%
Wii Fit Age: 33

Walking Test: 68%
Steadiness Test: 70%

Day 89 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 89 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 227.5 lbs.
BMI: 29.20 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.0% / Right 51.0%
Wii Fit Age: 32

Basic Balance Test: 23.49 sec.
Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 70%

Day 88 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 88 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 230.2 lbs.
BMI: 29.54 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.7% / Right 51.3%
Wii Fit Age: 27

Walking Test: 86%
Agility Test: 18

Day 87 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 87 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 230.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.59 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 45.3% / Right 54.7%
Wii Fit Age: 30

Agility Test: 17
Basic Balance Test: 21.90 sec.

Day 86 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 86 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 228.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.34 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 47.1% / Right 52.9%
Wii Fit Age: 28

Steadiness Test: 78%
Basic Balance Test: 23.59 sec.

Day 85 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 85 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 228.2 lbs.
BMI: 29.28 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 47.8% / Right 52.2%
Wii Fit Age: 35

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 78%
Steadiness Test: 54%

Day 84 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 84 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 227.1 lbs.
BMI: 29.14 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 47.4% / Right 52.6%
Wii Fit Age: 33

Agility Test: 16
Steadiness Test: 74%

Day 83 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 83 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 228.2 lbs.
BMI: 29.28 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.3% / Right 50.7%
Wii Fit Age: 31

Basic Balance Test: 21.94 sec.
Steadiness Test: 65%

Day 82 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 82 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 228.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.34 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 51.0% / Right 49.0%
Wii Fit Age: 31

Basic Balance Test: 22.17 sec.
Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 68%

Day 81 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 81 WEIGH-IN

Unfortunately, I forgot to do my weigh-in this morning and didn't do it until now, shortly after dinner. I expect that in the morning I will have lost some of the added weight.

Weight: 228.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.34 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.6% / Right 50.4%
Wii Fit Age: 39

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 71%
Walking Test: 47%

Day 80 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 80 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 228.0 lbs.
BMI: 29.26 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.6% / Right 50.4%
Wii Fit Age: 36

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 69%
Walking Test: 58%

Day 79 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 79 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 228.8 lbs.
BMI: 29.37 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 46.3% / Right 53.7%
Wii Fit Age: 24

Agility Test: 20
Basic Balance Test: 18.42 sec.

Day 78 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 78 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 227.3 lbs.
BMI: 29.17 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.5% / Right 50.5%
Wii Fit Age: 36

Agility Test: 15
Steadiness Test: 66%

Day 77 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 77 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 226.4 lbs.
BMI: 29.06 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.3% / Right 49.7%
Wii Fit Age: 33

Steadiness Test: 61%
Agility Test: 19

Day 76 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 76 WEIGH-IN

Turkey did me in.

Weight: 226.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.09 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.1% / Right 49.9%
Wii Fit Age: 32

Steadiness Test: 73%
Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 68%

Day 75 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 75 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 224.4 lbs.
BMI: 28.80 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.7% / Right 51.3%
Wii Fit Age: 30

Steadiness Test: 76%
Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 70%

Day 74 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 74 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 226.0 lbs.
BMI: 29.00 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.6% / Right 49.4%
Wii Fit Age: 39

Walking Test: 44%
Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 72%

Day 73 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 73 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 226.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.09 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.8% / Right 49.2%
Wii Fit Age: 29

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 66%
Basic Balance Test: 20.50 sec.

Day 72 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 72 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 225.8 lbs.
BMI: 28.97 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.9% / Right 50.1%
Wii Fit Age: 37

Steadiness Test: 63%
Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 60%

Day 71 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 71 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 223.8 lbs.
BMI: 28.72 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 46.1% / Right 53.9%
Wii Fit Age: 33

Basic Balance Test: 21.65 sec.
Walking Test: 58%

Day 70 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 70 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 224.7 lbs.
BMI: 28.83 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.1% / Right 49.9%
Wii Fit Age: 30

Basic Balance Test: 18.62 sec.
Walking Test: 59%

Day 69 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 69 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 226.9 lbs.
BMI: 29.11 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.5% / Right 49.5%
Wii Fit Age: 24

Walking Test: 88%
Basic Balance Test: 22.15 sec.

Day 68 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 68 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 225.3 lbs.
BMI: 28.92 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.7% / Right 51.3%
Wii Fit Age: 31

Steadiness Test: 63%
Agility Test: 20

Day 67 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 67 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 225.3 lbs.
BMI: 28.92 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 51.2% / Right 48.8%
Wii Fit Age: 38

Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 70%
Walking Test: 50%

Day 66 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 66 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 226.0 lbs.
BMI: 29.00 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.6% / Right 49.4%
Wii Fit Age: 36

Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 62%
Walking Test: 65%

Day 65 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 65 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 227.3 lbs. (late night big dinner and snacks)
BMI: 29.17 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.1% / Right 50.9%
Wii Fit Age: 32

Steadiness Test: 72%
Agility Test: 17

Day 64 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 64 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 224.7 lbs.
BMI: 28.83 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 51.5% / Right 48.5%
Wii Fit Age: 29

Walking Test: 80%
Steadiness Test: 69%

Day 63 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 63 WEIGH-IN

I didn't weigh myself until the afternoon after lunch and snacks, so I knew it was going to be high. Should drop back down tomorrow morning.

Weight: 226.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.09 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.4% / Right 51.6%
Wii Fit Age: 32

Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 67%
Steadiness Test: 72%

Day 62 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 62 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 225.1 lbs.
BMI: 28.89 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.9% / Right 49.1%
Wii Fit Age: 40

Steadiness Test: 71%
Walking Test: 42%

Day 61 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 61 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 224.7 lbs.
BMI: 28.83 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.0% / Right 51.0%
Wii Fit Age: 33

Agility Test: 18
Steadiness Test: 65%

Day 60 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 60 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 224.7 lbs.
BMI: 28.83 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.3% / Right 49.7%
Wii Fit Age: 34

Agility Test: 17
Steadiness Test: 64%

Day 59 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 59 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 223.5 lbs.
BMI: 28.69 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 45.8% / Right 54.2%
Wii Fit Age: 32

Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 67%
Basic Balance Test: 23.35 sec.

Day 58 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 58 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 226.4 lbs.
BMI: 29.06 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 51.8% / Right 48.2%
Wii Fit Age: 38

Agility Test: 15
Steadiness Test: 61%

Day 57 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 57 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 224.4 lbs.
BMI: 28.80 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.8% / Right 50.2%
Wii Fit Age: 29

Basic Balance Test: 20.54 sec.
Agility Test: 17

Day 56 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 56 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 223.3 lbs.
BMI: 28.66 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.2% / Right 51.8%
Wii Fit Age: 31

Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 77%
Steadiness Test: 66%

Day 55 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 55 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 225.3 lbs.
BMI: 28.92 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 53.1% / Right 46.9%
Wii Fit Age: 30

Steadiness Test: 72%
Agility Test: 19

Day 54 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 54 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 224.7 lbs.
BMI: 28.83 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 51.1% / Right 48.9%
Wii Fit Age: 29

Agility Test: 18
Basic Balance Test: 22.24 sec

Day 53 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 53 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 226.0 lbs.
BMI: 29.00 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 53.8% / Right 46.2%
Wii Fit Age: 27

Steadiness Test: 72%
Basic Balance Test: 19.67 sec.

Day 52 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 52 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 226.0 lbs.
BMI: 29.00 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 51.1% / Right 48.9%
Wii Fit Age: 30

Steadiness Test: 64%
Basic Balance Test: 21.55 sec.

Day 51 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 51 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 224.9 lbs.
BMI: 28.86 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.1% / Right 51.9%
Wii Fit Age: 28

Agility Test: 18
Basic Balance Test: 20.69 sec.

Day 50 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 50 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 224.2 lbs.
BMI: 28.77 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 51.1% / Right 48.9%
Wii Fit Age: 34

Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 64%
Steadiness Test: 72%

Day 49 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 49 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 223.3 lbs.
BMI: 28.66 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.4% / Right 49.6%
Wii Fit Age: 27

Agility Test: 18
Basic Balance Test: 19.85 sec.

Day 48 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 48 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 223.3 lbs.
BMI: 28.66 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.5% / Right 50.5%
Wii Fit Age: 35

Agility Test: 16
Steadiness Test: 68%

Day 47 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 47 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 224.4 lbs.
BMI: 28.80 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.7% / Right 50.3%
Wii Fit Age: 37

Walking Test: 60%
Agility Test: 16

Day 46 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 46 WEIGH-IN

I had Mexican last night (late!) with a large chips and queso. I knew today's weigh-in wasn't going to go well.

Weight: 225.1 lbs.
BMI: 28.89 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 52.8% / Right 47.2%
Wii Fit Age: 33

Walking Test: 68%
Steadiness Test: 68%

Day 45 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 45 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 224.0 lbs.
BMI: 28.75 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.8% / Right 50.2%
Wii Fit Age: 28

Steadiness Test: 69%
Walking Test: 84%

Day 44 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 44 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 224.4 lbs.
BMI: 28.80 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.6% / Right 50.4%
Wii Fit Age: 35

Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 70%
Steadiness Test: 60%

Day 43 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 43 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 221.6 lbs.
BMI: 28.43 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.9% / Right 49.1%
Wii Fit Age: 28

Steadiness Test: 69%
Basic Balance Test: 20.00 sec.

Day 42 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 42 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 222.2 lbs.
BMI: 28.52 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.8% / Right 51.2%
Wii Fit Age: 35

Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 70%
Agility Test:15

Day 41 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 41 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 224.2 lbs.
BMI: 28.77 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.4% / Right 49.6%
Wii Fit Age: 37

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 61%
Walking Test: 62%

Day 40 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 40 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 224.2 lbs.
BMI: 28.77 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.7% / Right 50.3%
Wii Fit Age: 34

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 59%
Walking Test: 77%

Day 39 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 39 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 225.5 lbs.
BMI: 28.94 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.3% / Right 50.7%
Wii Fit Age: 33

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 77%
Agility Test: 15

Day 38 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 38 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 226.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.09 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.8% / Right 51.2%
Wii Fit Age:31

Basic Balance Test: 22.80 sec.
Agility Test: 17

Day 37 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 37 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 228.0 lbs.
BMI: 29.26 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.2% / Right 50.8%
Wii Fit Age: 33

Walking Test: 65%
Agility Test: 18

Day 36 activity

WII FIT DAY 36 ACTIVITY

I decided to take a break from activities for the past couple days to spend some extra time with my family and due to my ankle still being sore. The ankle is still sore but feels like it is recovering. I don't think I'll be doing the running exercises for a while longer.

YOGA
Deep Breathing: 84 pts. (3 stars)
Half-Moon: 81 pts. (3 stars)

AEROBICS
Advanced Step: 593 pts. (3 stars)
Rhythm Boxing: 10 min. - 1145 pts. (3 stars)

BALANCE GAMES
Ski Jump: 323 m (3 stars)
Balance Bubble: Advanced - 59.25 sec. (2 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 24 MINUTES

Day 36 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 36 WEIGH-IN

The Single-Leg Balance Test can be tricky, as demonstrated by my performance today. The test zeros out your starting center of balance during the countdown to begin the exercise. So if you are a little off-balance right before the exercise, Wii Fit determines that that is your current center of balance. In other words, if you are leaning a little to the right just before the test starts, you have to maintain that lean to the right during the entire test in order to maintain a perfect center of balance.

This has happened to me a few times now, and the only way to adjust for it is to try and move your foot to the right or left during the exercise to obtain the correct center of balance. But if you put your other foot down, as I did today, it ends the test.

This can also happen if you have your other foot still down on the balance board during the countdown.

Weight: 228.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.34 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.5% / Right 51.5%
Wii Fit Age: 44

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 15.32 sec. / Left and Right Stability 36%
Agility Test: 16

Day 35 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 35 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 228.8 lbs.
BMI: 29.37 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.5% / Right 49.5%
Wii Fit Age: 34

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 73%
Agility Test: 15

Day 34 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 34 WEIGH-IN

I've been doing a few things wrong that have caused small weight gains these past few days. I've been eating too much junk food. I've been eating larger portions for my meals. And I've been eating too late at night. The fact that my ankle has been hurting has also prevented me from doing any heavy workouts.

Weight: 230.2 lbs.
BMI: 29.54 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.4% / Right 51.6%
Wii Fit Age: 31

Steadiness Test: 69%
Agility Test: 19

Day 33 activity

WII FIT DAY 33 ACTIVITY

I'm starting to realize just how vital your ankles are to most of these exercises. My left ankle is still in a fair amount of pain, so I'm trying to pick activities that cause the least amount of stress to the ankle. They're slim pickings! I may go have my doctor check out my ankle if it keeps up. I should probably schedule a physical anyways.

STRENGTH
Single-Leg Extension: 10 reps per leg - 17 pts. (1 star)
Rowing Squat: 45 reps - 97 pts (4 stars)
Sideways Leg Lift: 20 reps per leg - 54 pts. (2 stars)

YOGA
Sun Salutation: 60 pts. (2 stars)
Cobra: points n/a
Spinal Twist: points n/a
Bridge: points n/a

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 15 MINUTES

Day 33 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 33 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 229.5 lbs.
BMI: 29.45 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.2% / Right 50.8%
Wii Fit Age: 42

Walking Test: 52%
Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 53%

Day 32 activity

WII FIT DAY 32 ACTIVITY

AEROBICS
Advanced Step: 577 pts. (3 stars)
Rhythm Boxing: 10 min. - 1139 pts. (3 stars)

BALANCE GAMES
Ski Jump: 236 m (2 stars)
Table Tilt: Advanced - 82 pts. (3 stars)
Balance Bubble: Advanced - 1236 yds. (1 star)
Penguin Slide: 66 pts. (2 stars)
Ski Slalom: 0:36.18 (3 stars)
Tightrope Walk: Beginner - 1:20.55 (3 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 30 MINUTES

Day 32 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 32 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 229.3 lbs.
BMI: 29.43 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.7% / Right 50.3%
Wii Fit Age: 34

Steadiness Test: 65%
Agility Test: 17

Day 31 activity

WII FIT DAY 31 ACTIVITY

My left ankle started hurting again, and I also half-pulled a muscle in my left hip area (I stopped bending before it got real bad), so I'm taking a break from aerobics again. I needed a change of pace anyways, although I do enjoy running.

YOGA
Deep Breathing: 92 pts. (4 stars)
Half-Moon: 77 pts. (3 stars)
Warrior: 90 pts. (4 stars)
Sun Salutation: 86 pts. (3 stars)
Chair: 66 pts. (2 stars)
Palm Tree: 56 pts. (2 stars)
Bridge: points n/a
Spinal Twist: points n/a

STRENGTH
Jackknife: 10 reps - 100 pts. (4 stars)
Tricep Extension: 20 reps per arm - points n/a

BALANCE GAMES
Ski Jump: 255 m (2 stars)
Table Tilt: Advanced - 70 pts. (2 stars)
Balance Bubble: Advanced - 1:06.81 (2 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 30 MINUTES

Day 31 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 31 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 228.4 lbs.
BMI: 29.31 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.3% / Right 49.7%
Wii Fit Age: 28

Walking Test: 91%
Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 62%

Day 30 activity

WII FIT DAY 30 ACTIVITY

I missed doing an activity for the past couple of days due to being under the weather and some family commitments. It felt good to get back to my routine tonight.

AEROBICS
Free Run: 20 minutes - 2.415 mi. (2 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 20 MINUTES

Day 30 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 30 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 227.1 lbs.
BMI: 29.14 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 46.8% / Right 53.2%
Wii Fit Age: 34

Steadiness Test: 71%
Walking Test: 61%

Day 29 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 29 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 226.9 lbs.
BMI: 29.11 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.3% / Right 51.7%
Wii Fit Age: 30

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 67%
Basic Balance Test: 22.64 sec.

Day 28 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 28 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 227.1 lbs.
BMI: 29.14 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 53.2% / Right 46.8%
Wii Fit Age: 30

Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 73%
Basic Balance Test: 24.49 sec.

Day 27 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 27 WEIGH-IN

I ate a very late dinner last night, so I had expected a little weight gain for my weigh-in this morning. Nice to see it actually went down.

Weight: 227.1 lbs.
BMI: 29.14 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 47.8% / Right 52.2%
Wii Fit Age: 24

Basic Balance Test: 21.05 sec.
Walking Test: 86%

Day 26 activity

WII FIT DAY 26 ACTIVITY

AEROBICS
Free Run: 20 minutes - 2.387 mi. (2 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 20 MINUTES

Day 26 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 26 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 227.3 lbs.
BMI: 29.17 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.3% / Right 51.7%
Wii Fit Age: 30

Agility Test: 15
Basic Balance Test: 19.4 sec.

Day 25 activity

WII FIT DAY 25 ACTIVITY

Visited with my family tonight, so doing the Free Run again. I have found that the shorter 20 minute Free Run hasn't been hurting my ankle, but it's still resulting in weight loss. I'll get back into the routine of mixing up the exercises tomorrow when I have some more time.

AEROBICS
Free Run: 20 minutes - 2.469 mi. (2 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 20 MINUTES

Day 25 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 25 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 226.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.09 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.7% / Right 51.3%
Wii Fit Age: 37

Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 58%
Steadiness Test: 65%

Day 24 activity

WII FIT DAY 24 ACTIVITY

AEROBICS
Free Run: 20 minutes - 2.398 mi. (2 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 20 MINUTES

My Internet is down for a couple days

While waiting for Verizon to make FIOS available in my neighborhood (cables are already installed), I decided to order cable because the signals have been flakey lately using my HD over the air antenna. So I had Comcast come install a couple cable cards in each of my TiVo HD boxes.

You would think that the cable installers would come prepared and already have been trained. The cable installer informed me that he had never installed CableCard decoders into TiVo HD boxes before. He seemed pretty new. Long story short... he left without activating the CableCards and also knocked out my Internet, which was working prior to his visit.

After three long phone calls last night to Comcast, they scheduled a technician to come out on Wednesday morning.

I am keeping track of my daily Wii Fit activity and weigh-ins and will add them here once everything is working again.

Day 24 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 24 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 227.7 lbs.
BMI: 29.23 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.4% / Right 51.6%
Wii Fit Age: 35

Steadiness Test: 63%
Agility Test: 17

Day 23 activity

WII FIT DAY 23 ACTIVITY

AEROBICS
Free Run: 20 minutes - 2.417 mi. (2 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 20 MINUTES

Day 23 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 23 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 229.3 lbs.
BMI: 29.43 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.0% / Right 50.0%
Wii Fit Age: 32

Basic Balance Test: 20.19
Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 57%

Day 22 activity

WII FIT DAY 22 ACTIVITY

AEROBICS
Free Run: 30 minutes - 3.692 mi. (2 stars)

BALANCE GAMES
Ski Jump: 319 m (3 stars)
Balance Bubble: Advanced - 592 yds. (1 star)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 33 MINUTES

Day 22 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 22 WEIGH-IN

Not sure what the weight gain is all about today, although I did have a late dinner and some late night snacks. Hopefully tomorrow morning it will be a different story.

Weight: 229.5 lbs.
BMI: 29.45 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.6% / Right 49.4%
Wii Fit Age: 34

Basic Balance Test: 23.40
Agility Test: 15

Wii Fit three week status: Down 5.5 lbs.

Today was my 21st consecutive day of using Wii Fit. Three weeks down... nine more to go!

On my initial weigh-in I weighed 232.6 lbs. When I weigh myself this morning I weighed 227.1 lbs.

I LOST 5.5 lbs. so far!!!

I know that's not a ton of weight, but it's definately progress! I certainly feel more in fit than I have in a while. My body is starting to gain some muscle back and I don't feel as much fat bouncing around when I run. My back and neck pains don't hurt as much. Also, before I started I was in between pant sizes and I now they are starting to feel a little loose. In another week or so, I may need to go buy some pants in the next smaller size. That's when I will really feel that I've made progress!

For the most part, I have been steadily losing weight each day. Sure, there's a day here or there where I ate too much or ate too late at night, and my morning weigh-in is up a bit, but it comes off the next day and I'm back on course.

I'll start back up on the aerobics tomorrow or Monday. I'll see how my ankle is feeling. I enjoy the aerobics exercises (running, boxing, hula hoop, and step) the most and they definitely make me sweat and burn a lot of calories.

Day 21 activity

WII FIT DAY 21 ACTIVITY

Refraining from aerobics for a couple days to let my left ankle heal.

YOGA
Half-Moon: 78 pts. (3 stars)
Standing Knee: 36 pts. (1 star)
Dance: 20 pts. (1 star)
Spinal Twist: points n/a
Bridge: points n/a
Cobra: points n/a

STRENGTH
Torso Twists: 6 reps - 84 pts. (3 stars)
Push-up and Side Plank: 6 reps - 83 pts. (3 stars)
Single-Leg Extension: 6 reps per leg - 54 pts. (2 stars)
Rowing Squat: 45 reps - 100 pts. (4 stars)
Jackknife: 10 reps - 90 pts. (4 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 23 MINUTES

Day 21 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 21 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 227.1 lbs.
BMI: 29.14 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.3% / Right 50.7%
Wii Fit Age:28

Basic Balance Test: 21.50
Walking Test: 76%

Day 20 activity

WII FIT DAY 20 ACTIVITY

Pain returned to my left ankle, so I'll lay off the aerobics for a couple days.

YOGA
Deep Breathing: 90 pts. (4 stars)
Cobra: points n/a
Spinal Twist: points n/a
Triangle: 75 pts. (3 stars)
Downward-Facing Dog: 91 pts. (4 stars)
Dance: 27 pts. (1 star)
Chair: 54 pts. (2 stars)
Shoulder Stand: points n/a

STRENGTH
Jackknife Challenge: 20 reps. (3 stars)
Torso Twists: 6 reps - 86 pts. (3 stars)
Rowing Squat: 30 reps - 100 pts. (4 stars)

BALANCE GAMES
Ski Jump: 260 m (3 stars)
Table Tilt: Advanced - 60 pts. (2 stars)
Balance Bubble: Advanced - 1253 yds. (1 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 30 MINUTES

Day 20 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 20 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 229.3 lbs.
BMI: 29.43 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.9% / Right 50.1%
Wii Fit Age:27

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 59%
Walking Test: 100%

Day 19 activity

WII FIT DAY 19 ACTIVITY

I decided to do the Free Run again today after taking a break from running yesterday due to a sore left ankle. After running today, I'm feeling some pain in my ankle again so I will probably lay off the running for at least a couple days.

One thing I found interesting about today's Free Run is that I got the exact same distance as I did on Day 16. I'm not sure if that's simply coincidence or if Wii Fit has pre-determined values.

AEROBICS
Free Run: 30 minutes - 3.570 mi. (2 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 30 MINUTES

Day 19 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 19 WEIGH-IN

I ate some pretty bad food yesterday (fried chicken, cake, and a pot pie), so I was expecting the weight to go up slightly. A harder workout today should knock it out.

Weight: 229.1 lbs.
BMI: 29.40 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.6% / Right 49.4%
Wii Fit Age: 35

Basic Balance Test: 25.10
Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 60%

Day 18 activity

WII FIT DAY 18 ACTIVITY

My left ankle has been sore all day, so I'm going to lay off the aerobics today and give it a day to rest.

Today was my first time doing the Jackknife Challenge. The instructor quit after 10 reps. I expect the next one to be about 15-20 reps.

I did the Plank Challenge for the second time today. Yesterday the instructor quit after 20 seconds, but today she quit after 40 seconds. I'm glad too. I don't know how much longer I could hold it, especially after just finishing a Jackknife round.



STRENGTH
Single-Leg Twist: 10 reps per leg - 77 pts. (3 stars)
Jackknife Challenge: 10 reps when instructor quit - (2 stars)
Plank Challenge: 40 sec. (3 stars)
Tricep Extension: points n/a

YOGA
Deep Breathing: 94 pts. (4 stars)
Half-Moon: 87 pts. (3 stars)
Palm Tree: 66 pts. (2 stars)

BALANCE GAMES
Ski Jump: 205 m (2 stars)
Penguin Slide: 63 pts. (2 stars)
Balance Bubble: Advanced - 1:14.85 (2 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 16 MINUTES

Day 18 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 18 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 228.8 lbs.
BMI: 29.37 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.7% / Right 49.3%
Wii Fit Age: 32

Steadiness Test: 64%
Agility Test: 19

Day 17 activity

WII FIT DAY 17 ACTIVITY

The Plank Challenge took me a few tries to understand how it worked since I cannot easily view the screen when in that position. The instructor said to hold it for 10 seconds, and my first two tries I thought that meant to relax after the 10 seconds, but you are actually supposed to keep holding. The Plank Challenge appears to be done in tiers, because the instructor quit after 20 seconds. There's about eight stars to get in this challenge, so I expect it to get longer each time.

I was going to try the Jackknife Challenge, but I had already done a round of the Jackknife exercise and wasn't quite ready for the challenge. Now that I know the challenge is done in tiers, I'll try this challenge next time.

The Spinal Twist yoga exercise is one of my favorite yoga poses so far. I could really feel it stretching my muscles. This will be one of my frequent exercises.

AEROBICS
Free Run: 30 minutes - 3.727 mi. (2 stars)

STRENGTH
Jackknife: 10 reps - 100 pts. (4 stars)
Plank Challenge: 11 sec. (1 star)
Plank Challenge: 11 sec. (1 star)
Plank Challenge: 20 sec. (2 stars)

YOGA
Spinal Twist: points n/a
Bridge: points n/a

BALANCE GAMES
Ski Jump: 179 m (2 stars)
Snowboard Slalom: 1:06.96 (1 star)
Balance Bubble: Advanced - 1233 yds. (1 star)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 40 MINUTES

Day 17 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 17 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 228.2 lbs.
BMI: 29.28 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.8% / Right 49.2%
Wii Fit Age: 35

Agility Test: 18
Walking Test: 58%

Day 16 activity

WII FIT DAY 16 ACTIVITY

I've been neglecting my TiVo queue, so I put on a show and did a Free Run while watching the show.

I also passed a Microsoft certification exam earlier today. It's the first of two towards the MCDST certification. I'll be hitting the books pretty hard for that one.

AEROBICS
Free Run: 30 minutes - 3.570 mi. (2 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 30 MINUTES

Day 16 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 16 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 228.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.34 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.9% / Right 50.1%
Wii Fit Age: 38

Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 65%
Walking Test: 55%

Day 15 activity

WII FIT DAY 15 ACTIVITY

AEROBICS
Advanced Step: 635 pts. (4 stars)
Free Run: 30 minutes - 3.652 mi. (2 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 35 MINUTES

Day 15 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 15 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 229.3 lbs.
BMI: 29.43 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.7% / Right 51.3%
Wii Fit Age: 36

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 63%
Agility Test: 16

Day 14 activity

WII FIT DAY 14 ACTIVITY

AEROBICS
Advanced Step: 605 pts. (3 stars)
Super Hula Hoop: 6 min. - 1197 spins (2 stars)
Free Run: 20 minutes - 2.546 mi. (2 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 32 MINUTES

Day 14 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 14 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 228.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.34 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.7% / Right 49.3%
Wii Fit Age: 34

Steadiness Test: 69%
Agility Test: 16

Day 13 activity

WII FIT DAY 13 ACTIVITY

YOGA
Shoulder Stand: points/stars n/a
Sun Salutation: 87 pts. (3 stars)
Palm Tree: 64 pts. (2 stars)

STRENGTH
Arm and Leg Lift: 10 reps per arm and leg - 82 pts. (3 stars)
Sideways Leg Lift: 10 reps per leg - 69 pts. (2 stars)

AEROBICS
Rhythm Boxing: 10 min. - 1056 pts. (3 stars)
Advanced Step: 548 pts. (3 stars)

BALANCE GAMES
Ski Jump: 224 m (2 stars)
Tightrope Walk: 16 yds. (1 star)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 30 MINUTES

Day 13 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 13 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 228.8 lbs.
BMI: 29.37 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.6% / Right 51.4%
Wii Fit Age: 31

Basic Balance Test: 21.37 sec.
Steadiness Test: 67%

Day 12 activity

WII FIT DAY 12 ACTIVITY

I haven't been feeling very well today, so I'm taking it a bit easy. I've been trying to do at least 30 minutes a day, but today I'll keep it to about 15.

YOGA
Half-Moon: 84 pts. (3 stars)
Tree:  25 pts. (1 star)
Cobra: points/stars n/a

STRENGTH
Single-Leg Twist: 10 reps per leg - 74 pts. (3 stars)
Single-Arm Stand: 6 reps per arm - 56 pts. (2 stars)
Plank - 30 sec. - 87 pts. (3 stars)

EXERCISE GAMES
Ski Slalom: 0:37.45 (3 stars)
Ski Jump: 192 m (2 stars)
Balance Bubble: Advanced - 712 yds. (1 stars)
Penguin Slide: 50 pts. (2 stars)
Lotus Focus: 32 sec. (1 star)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 16 MINUTES

Day 12 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 12 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 229.9 lbs.
BMI: 29.51 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.3% / Right 50.7%
Wii Fit Age: 38

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 53%
Agility Test: 17

Day 11 activity

WII FIT DAY 11 ACTIVITY

AEROBICS
Advanced Step: 572 pts. (3 stars)
Basic Run: Island Lap - Burn Rate: 91% (3 stars)
Rhythm Boxing: 6 minutes - 634 pts. (3 stars)

YOGA
Deep Breathing: 90 pts. (3 stars)

EXERCISE GAMES
Ski Slalom: 0:45.36 (2 stars)
Ski Jump: 190 m (2 stars)
Balance Bubble: Beginner - 1:04.36 (2 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 31 MINUTES

Day 11 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 11 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 230.4 lbs.
BMI: 29.57 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.7% / Right 49.3%
Wii Fit Age: 29

Steadiness Test: 69%
Basic Balance Test: 21.82

Day 10 activity

WII FIT DAY 10 ACTIVITY

AEROBICS
Super Hula Hoop: 6 min. - 1558 spins (3 stars)
Basic Run: Island Lap - Burn Rate: 133% (4 stars)

STRENGTH
Jackknife: 10 reps - 100 pts. (4 stars)
Rowing Squat: 30 reps - 96 pts. (4 stars)
Plank: 78 pts. (3 stars)

YOGA
Chair: 68 pts. (2 stars)
Cobra: points n/a

EXERCISE GAMES
Ski Jump: 199 m (2 stars)
Balance Bubble: Beginner - 1253 yds. (1 star)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 30 MINUTES

Day 10 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 10 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 232.1 lbs.
BMI: 29.79 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.4% / Right 51.6%
Wii Fit Age:41

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 60%
Walking Test: Balance 51%

Day 9 activity

WII FIT DAY 9 ACTIVITY

I found a good song with a perfect tempo to run to... Private Idaho by the B-52's. I just set up a Genius playlist in iTunes for Missionary Man by the Eurythmics and this song happened to play. It picked up my pace and I was able to run to it perfectly. Oddly though, even though I ran harder than I have in the past, I got my lowest burn rate score to date. Puzzling... but I had to work off some chips and queso I had earlier from Baja Fresh.

AEROBICS
Advanced Step: 572 pts. (3 stars)
Rhythm Boxing: 6 minutes - 642 pts. (3 stars)
Basic Run: Island Lap - Burn Rate: 81% (3 stars)

STRENGTH
Sideways Leg Lift: 10 reps per leg - 51 pts. (2 stars)
Sideways Leg Lift: 10 reps per leg - 69 pts. (2 stars)
Tricep Extension: 10 reps per arm - points not applicable

YOGA
Deep Breathing: 88 pts. (3 stars)
Sun Salutation: 89 pts. (3 stars)
Palm Tree: 70 pts. (3 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 36 MINUTES

Day 9 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 9 WEIGH-IN

I broke into the 220's (barely) this week! Hopefully I don't ever see 230+ again.

Weight: 229.9 lbs.
BMI: 29.51 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.7% / Right 51.3%
Wii Fit Age: 32

Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 70%
Walking Test: Balance 71%

Day 8 activity

WII FIT DAY 8 ACTIVITY

AEROBICS
Rhythm Boxing: 6 minutes - 551 pts. (2 stars)
Basic Run: Island Lap - Burn Rate: 144% (4 stars)

STRENGTH
Sideways Leg Lift: 10 reps per leg - 68 pts. (2 stars)
Tricep Extension: 10 reps per arm - 100 pts. (4 stars)
Single Leg Twist: 10 reps per leg - 78 pts. (3 stars)

YOGA
Sun Salutation: 84 pts. (3 stars)
Palm Tree: 68 pts. (2 stars)
Half-Moon: 73 pts. (3 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 32 MINUTES

Wii Fit: Basic Run review

I've been using Wii Fit for one week straight now, and one of my favorite activities so far is the Basic Run. This is the activity where I feel I am burning off the most calories.


See More Wii Fit Screenshots at IGN.com

I enjoy that they present you with a perspective that makes you feel like you are there running in their world. You get paired up with a different running partner every time. Your partner leads the way and turns around to wave at you for encouragement.

I have unlocked three distances so far... Short, Long, and Island Lap. Short lasts about 5 minutes. Long, about 10 minutes. And Island Lap about 18-20 minutes. I'm not sure yet if there are any that are longer than Island Lap. Each take you on a different pre-determined course. I haven't noticed any difference in running speed whether I run fast or slow. The only time I notice a difference in speed is if I happen to stop running for a second or two (leg cramp). When I stop for a short period of time, my runner in game speeds up rapidly for a few seconds before stopping. I haven't figured out what that's all about yet.

Great use of Mii characters!
I had a couple of friends create Mii characters on my Wii. I have found that this to be very beneficial in Wii Fit, especially in the Basic Run, because your friend's Mii characters exercise too. Every so often, I'll see my sister Sara run past me going the opposite direction, often smiling and waving as she passes. Or my friend Steve will run past me, encouraging me to run a little faster to catch up (which never happens). These Mii characters add a sense of familiarity and warmth to your exercising, rather than exercising with characters that you can't relate to on a personal level.

Things that need improvement:

- NEEDS MUSIC! All of the other Wii Fit exercises have music, but for some reason or another Nintendo removed all music from Basic Run. You see your character in the progress bar at the bottom of the screen with musical notes indicating music, but there is no music. The lack of music makes the run seem much longer than it actually is. I'll need to start listening to my iPod or play music from my computer while I run.

- The speed at which you run does not appear to influence the running speed in the game. In other words, if you push yourself to run harder/faster, it doesn't appear that you reach the finish line any faster.

Things I don't understand:

• There are Mario character icons scattered around the island. The manual says to try and locate them all, but I don't know what to do if I see them or why I am trying to find them. Rather than just trying to find them, they should let you capture/collect them, sort of like trophies. They don't seem to have a purpose as they are now.
• During my Island Lap run, a pack of dogs leaped off of a cliff which was at least 100 feet high. I saw that and it shocked me because it seemed like they were falling to their death. But they kept running on past me.
  

Tip!
If your floor has carpeting, you might want to invest in a rug or mat to run on. Running in one place every day can wear down the carpet in that location.

Day 8 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 8 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 231.5 lbs.
BMI: 29.71 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 49.2% / Right 50.8%
Wii Fit Age: 29

Agility Test: 18
Basic Balance Test: 22.7 seconds

Day 7 activity

WII FIT DAY 7 ACTIVITY

AEROBICS
Super Hula Hoop: 3 minutes - 753 spins (4 stars)
Rhythm Boxing: 3 minutes - 263 pts. (2 stars)
Basic Run: Island Lap - Burn Rate: 173% (4 stars)
Advanced Step: 549 (3 stars)

STRENGTH
Single-Leg Twist: 10 reps per leg - 69 pts. (2 stars)
Jackknife: 10 reps - 100 pts. (4 stars)

YOGA
Deep Breathing: 86 pts. (3 stars)
Half-Moon: 81 pts. (3 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 34 MINUTES

Day 7 weigh-in

Weight: 230.8 lbs.
BMI: 29.62 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 46.7% / Right 53.3%
Wii Fit Age: 28

Agility Test: 18
Walking Test: Balance 81%

Day 6 activity

WII FIT DAY 6 ACTIVITY

I unlocked a couple of new items today. The Rhythm Boxing exercise was a lot of fun because gave me something interesting to do with my arms. The Plank wasn't too hard, but I could really feel it in my abs.

I'm looking forward to checking out a new running course that I unlocked tonight. The change of scenery should be nice.

AEROBICS
Super Hula Hoop: 3 minutes - 699 spins (3 stars)
Rhythm Boxing: 3 minutes - 236 pts. (2 stars)
Basic Run: Long - Burn Rate: 197% (4 stars)
Advanced Step: 519 (2 stars)

STRENGTH
Lunge: 15 reps per leg - 100 pts. (4 stars)
Plank: 30 seconds - 66 pts. (2 stars)

YOGA
Warrior: 83 pts. (3 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 24 MINUTES

Day 6 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 6 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 230.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.59 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 47.9% / Right 52.1%
Wii Fit Age: 37

Single-Leg Balance Test (left leg): Time Held 30.00 sec. / Left and Right Stability 54%
Walking Test: Balance 70%

Day 5 activity

WII FIT DAY 5 ACTIVITY

Since I went light yesterday, and this morning's weigh-in showed a slight weight gain, I really tried to push myself today. I'm wiping sweat off my face as I write this.

Over the past couple days, I have unlocked some of the more advanced versions of the basic exercises, so I tried to tackle those.

Going from 10 to 20 reps of the Jackknife exercise was a mistake because I had to hold my legs up at times when I should be holding them up without assistance. It was good for the abs, but I think I'm going to drop back down to 10 until I am comfortable that I can do the additional 10 properly.

Other exercises, such as the Basic Run switching from short to long, were just what I needed. I can do that easily enough and it makes me burn more calories. The longer exercises also makes the workout session not seem quite as long because you can get a longer workout with less exercises.

AEROBICS
Basic Run: Long - Burn Rate: 210% (4 stars)
Advanced Step: 416 (2 stars)

STRENGTH
Lunge: 10 reps per leg - 100 pts. (4 stars)
Jackknife: 20 reps - 100 pts. (4 stars)
Torso Twists: 3 reps - 76 pts. (3 stars)
Rowing Squat: 30 reps - 100 pts. (4 stars)

YOGA
Standing Knee: 25 pts. (1 star)
Warrior: 78 pts. (3 stars)
Palm Tree: 12 pts. (1 star)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 25 MINUTES

Day 5 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 5 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 231.9 lbs.
BMI: 29.76 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 47.7% / Right 52.3%
Wii Fit Age: 33

Basic Balance Test: 24.62
Steadiness Test: 66%

Day 4 activity

WII FIT DAY 4 ACTIVITY

I decided to take it a little easy today and do more balance games to give my aching muscles a chance to recuperate. I know... waaaaah!!!

AEROBICS
Super Hula Hoop: 3 minutes - 709 spins (3 stars)
Basic Step: 264 pts. (3 stars)


BALANCE GAMES
Ski Jump: 258m (2 stars)
Tightrope Walk: Beginner - 1:32.41 (2 stars)
Balance Bubble: Beginner - 1236 yards (1 star)
Ski Slalom: Beginner - 0:36.93 (3 stars)

STRENGTH
Sideways Leg Lift: 10 reps per leg - 36 pts. (1 star)

YOGA
Deep Breathing: 82 pts. (3 stars)
Sun Salutation: 83 pts. (3 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 17 MINUTES

Day 4 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 4 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 230.8 lbs.
BMI: 29.62 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 48.4% / Right 51.6%
Wii Fit Age: 38

Single-Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 25.65 / Left and Right Stability 56%
Agility Test: 16

Day 3 activity

WII FIT DAY 3 ACTIVITY

AEROBICS
Basic Step: 295 pts. (3 stars)
Hula Hoop: 249 spins (2 stars)
Basic Run: Short - Burn Rate: 104% (4 stars)

BALANCE GAMES
Ski Jump: 254m (2 stars)
Tightrope Walk: Beginner - 18 yards (1 star)

STRENGTH
Push-up and Side Plank: 6 reps - 83 pts. (3 stars)
Jackknife: 10 reps - 100 pts. (4 stars)
Rowing Squat: 15 reps - 93 pts. (4 stars)

YOGA
Standing Knee: 38 pts. (1 star)
Sun Salutation: 87 pts. (3 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 19 MINUTES

I'm definately starting to feel the effects of the exercise. My abs and theighs are sore today. Tomorrow's a new day!

It's been done before... but that's okay

When I started this 90 day experiment with Wii Fit, I didn't know that someone had already done this. But that doesn't bother me. I'm not looking for publicity. I just want to lose some weight and share my experience with others.

My reason for writing about my experience is twofold.

First, it is a self-motivator to stick with an exercise routine to lose weight. I want to lose weight! My weight is affecting my health (breathing, pains, etc.) and I'm ready to do something about it. I'm laying it all out there and don't want my friends and family (or the rest of the world) to tell me that I was lazy and gave up like so many others.

As I write this, here are the current Wii Fit statistics as reported on the Nintendo Channel:

Time spent playing / Times Played
Total: 2,553,265 Hours / 1,896,566 Times
Per person: 14 Hr 47 Min / 10.99 Times

The other reason why I am writing about it is to motivate others who could benefit from losing some weight. I want to show people how much more fit they can become by devoting just a few minutes a day to exercise.

This really isn't an experiment... it's more of an experience. Perhaps I'll adjust the name of the blog.

Day 3 weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 3 WEIGH-IN

Weight: 230.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.59 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 50.1% / Right 49.9%
Wii Fit Age:27

Basic Balance Test:17.47
Agility Test: 17

I've been getting a little extra exercise walking back and forth to my computer, sitting down and standing up, in-between each test.

Day 2 activity

WII FIT DAY 2 ACTIVITY

STRENGTH
Push-up and Side Plank: 6 reps - 74 pts. (3 stars)
Single-Leg Extension: 6 reps (per leg) - 51 pts. (2 stars)
Jackknife: 10 reps - 100 pts. (4 stars)
Rowing Squat: 15 reps - 73 pts. (3 stars)
Single-Leg Twist: 10 reps (per leg) - 65 pts. (2 stars)

AEROBICS
Hula-Hoop: 267 spins (3 stars)
Basic Step: 272 pts. (3 stars)

BALANCE GAMES
Soccer Heading: Beginner - 70 pts. (2 stars)
Ski Jump: 252m (2 stars)
Ski Slalom: Beginner - 1:02.05 (1 star)
Tightrope Walk: Beginner - 8 yds. (1 star)
Table Tilt: Beginner - 82 pts. (3 stars)

YOGA
Half-Moon: 72 pts. (3 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 21 MINUTES

At this point, I am just trying as many new things as possible before I start forming a routine. When you complete some exercies, Wii Fit sometimes recommends a corresponding activity of a different type that compliments the exercise you just finished. For example, today it paired up the Single-Leg Twist strength exercise with the Half-Moon yoga exercise as a set. It gives you a visual reward for completing these matching sets of exercies.

Since I really want to concentrate on losing my gut, I have a feeling that the Jackknife is going to be a part of my routine several days a week.

Some exercises are grayed out and have to be unlocked by just playing/exercising and earning points. It will be interesting to see what other exercises are available. There's a few yoga poses available that I haven't tried yet.

I am going to dump this data into a spreadsheet later this week to create progress charts to make it easier to monitor my progress.

Weigh-in Day 2

Weight: 231.7 lbs.
BMI: 29.74 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 51.6% / Right 48.4%
Wii Fit Age: 44

Stability Test: 50%
Single Leg Balance Test (right leg): Time Held 26.14 / Left and Right Stability 49%

Day 1 activity

WII FIT DAY 1 ACTIVITY

Back when I was in the U.S. Army, my Drill Sergeant taught me how long just one minute can be. Well, today I did 16 whole minutes of exercise. All-in-all, I think I actually spent about an hour in Wii Fit, but the rest of that time was spent watching examples of exercises and choosing which exercises I wanted to perform. The 16 minutes was pure exercise, and I actually broke a sweat and felt a little sore when i was done.

AEROBICS
Hula Hoop: 238 spins (2 stars)
Basic Step: 278 pts. (3 stars)
Basic Run: Short - Burn Rate 124% (4 stars)

STRENGTH
Torso Twist: 3 reps - 84 pts. (3 stars)
Lunge: 10 reps each leg - 100 pts. (4 stars)

YOGA
Warrior: 68 pts. (2 stars)
Deep Breathing: 92 pts. (4 stars)

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 16 MINUTES

Once I know the exercies and don't need to watch the examples, I should be able to spend more time on the actual exercises.

If anyone knows of a good way to track this data automatically, or even manually, in a way that will produce progress charts, please leave a comment. The only place this data is visible is in the game, so I have to manually type it in here and it doesn't produce any charts. It's a shame that Nintendo didn't make it so that you can review your Wii Fit stats online.

Initial Wii Fit weigh-in

WII FIT DAY 1 WEIGH-IN

I did my initial weigh in this morning. For this entire expriment, I will use the data as reported by Wii Fit.

Weight: 232.6 lbs.
BMI: 29.85 (Overweight)
Center of Balance: Left 46.0% / Right 54.0%
Wii Fit Age: 34

Although I will not be doing this for every weigh-in, I did weigh myself on a bathroom scale and it showed me at 232.5 lbs., so the Wii Fit scale (balance board) is pretty accurate (especially since it's on carpet).

Welcome to the Wii Fit 90 day experiment

My name is Mike, and as with many Americans I am overweight. I am 38 years old, 6' 2" tall, and weigh approximately 232 lbs.

I have tried several diets and exercises over the past few years, but I haven't been very good at sticking with them. I don't always eat very well and my weight and lack of regular exercise causes some health issues such as back/neck pains and difficulty breathing.

I am about to start a new job and am ready to make some other life changes... starting with my health.

I enjoy video games and have quite a few years experience working in the video game industry. So I thought that I'd use this opportunity to give Nintendo Wii Fit a shot and have fun while losing weight.

With this experiment, I am committing to use Wii Fit for 90 consecutive days as my primary source of exercise to see how much weight I can lose. During this time I will not take any additional diet aids, although I have had some success with Alli in the past.

I do want to clarify that I have absolutely no affiliation with Nintendo. I am not getting paid to perform this experiment and have purchased my Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit myself.

I will begin tomorrow. Check back daily for updates on my Wii Fit experience and weight loss progress. I hope that this encourages others to commit to exercise and lose weight.