Gadget Time - THIS WEEK

I'm determined to post my gadget updates this week.

But to let you know what I'm up to - I'll let you know what I'll be reviewing so you'll know if it is worth your time to come back!

1. Jillian Michaels' Wii Fit game
2. The JumpSnap
3. The Bender Ball

And anything else I get my hands on between now and then. :-)

As an update for me - I'm still tracking my food every day and I've actually been getting a few more workouts in! I weigh in tomorrow, so here's hoping the scale is good to me!

Until next time . . .

Back in the saddle again . . .

Well, after eating way too much over the holiday season and struggling to fit into my pants - I'm back it again with more willpower than ever before. :-)

I got a new Wii game that uses the Wii Balance Board that I will be using and reviewing on here. I've also found some cool new food finds, and I'll be talking about the new Weight Watchers Momentum plan.

I'm looking forward to catching up with all of you and working toward our common goal of overall wellness!

3 days in a row!

I completed DAY THREE of working out 30 minutes. Woohoo!!

I have decided that my favorite exercise on the Wii Fit is the Rhythm Boxing.


I did 10 minutes on the expert level this morning and I was sweating by the time I was done. My new "plan" is to do cardio every other day and strength training on the off days. I try to do a little bit of yoga at the end every day.

Here's hoping my scales start being nice to me again. :-)

So what about you? Do you have a plan? Don't wait until the first of the year - start NOW! The holidays can add pounds to your body and you'll have to work that much harder to get them back off!!

Make a plan and start TODAY!!

Walk the walk

Well, I will admit to all of you that I have been doing a great job of walking every day for at least 30 minutes (usually 60).

However, I have seriously slacked off on the Wii Fit and Push-Up front. I think the reason that I am doing well with walking is that my best buddy (since we were in diapers) now lives down the street from me and we motivate each other to walk.

One downfall of the Wii Fit is that it is kind of a solitary activity. Although others can do the exercises WITH you - it only records 'points' for the person using the Balance Board. It would be good in the next iteration, if they include a way to exercise TOGETHER. BUT - that is only an excuse. I need to get back in the groove. I love using it - I just have to motivate myself to get STARTED.

As for the push-ups - every day I say "We need to do our push-ups" and Hunkahubby growls at me and then I give in and forget about it. ::sighs::

SO . . . this week - my goal is to do the Wii Fit at least 3 times - and to FINALLY FINISH WEEK ONE of the Hundred Push Up Challenge. (And also to keep walking and tracking my food, which I've been doing pretty well at.)

What are you doing to walk the walk and get motivated?

"You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be." - David Viscott

Handing out some love linkage

I first want to update and say that AFTER I did Day 1 of my push-up challenge, I had so much energy, that I grabbed my best buddy from down the street and we walked around the neighborhood for 45 minutes. Woohoo! I was feeling good! I just hope I can keep it up!

And I also wanted to point out that I have been reading a lot of interesting, informative and HELPFUL posts lately - and I wanted to share them with all of you!!

First off - I had to give my Wii Fit some love. Here is a story about a local family that uses the Wii and the Wii Fit to bridge generational gaps!! I love this gaming system just because of that. It is awesome that Grandparents and Grandchildren are finding ways to bond (and get healthier!)

I also found this post by WorkoutMommy very motivational - since I'm on this new push-up kick, I actually got excited about trying out the different planks in this video!

I also absolutely LOVE the message in this post especially the part about the diet mentality vs. the healthy approach. Although I've finally gotten AWAY from the whole 'diet mentality' I still don't think I'm quite where I need to be.

And finally - I want to point you to a list I posted a couple of days ago on my personal blog. It has such great points - that I think you all will enjoy it as well. Be sure to check out #8, #14, #39 and especially #16!!!

Have a great Wednesday!

No more excuses!

Well the upstairs room is done. Hunkahubby is finished redecorating. Part of the reason for re-doing the room was to make more space for exercising (the Wii Fit can be dangerous in small spaces). The other reason . . . well . . . Hunkahubby just has to shake things up every now and then. He can't help himself. :-)

So now - I have no more excuses! The room is re-done. There is room to dance around. No part of my body is broken. It is time.

When I started this blog it was primarily to change my eating habits - which I've done a pretty good job of on Weight Watchers. Now - I need to start adding in the fitness end of things. I have a job where I sit on my rear all day long - and then come home and just want to lay on the couch. I need more energy . . . and everyone seems to tell me that expending energy will give me more . . . We shall see . . . :-)

So - I'm going to put this out there. I am going to try the push-up challenge (against my better judgement.)



I am also going to start out with at least 30 minutes of activity 3x per week. This activity will most likely be using the Wii Fit, but it may be walking or riding bikes, or whatever I can fit in, as long as it gets my heart rate up and it is PURPOSEFUL.

Once I've hit that consistently for a month, I will up my goal.

Does that sound reasonable? I start tomorrow. I'll keep you updated.

Weigh-In . . . FINALLY . . .

I've been stuck at 193 for 2 weeks. Mostly due to stress and not making great eating choices several of those days.

But this week, I tried very hard to STICK TO THE PLAN. I got some walking in (not as much as I'd like) and my poor Wii Fit is lonely because my husband decided to re-do the big room upstairs that I use to exercise! But I did make pretty good eating choices all week.

Today I was down 0.4 pounds, and I'll TAKE IT!!! :-)

This isn't easy. And it can be a struggle. But I KNOW - it is so worth it.

So if you are on this journey with me . . . Don't Give Up!!!

Have a great Friday!

More Stories on the Wii Fit

Yesterday, I spent a lot of time perusing the blogosphere to see what other users have to say about the Wii Fit.

I found a great blog here about a guy who has lost 16 pounds in six weeks (kind of fast, but he IS a guy) using the Wii Fit. He has some great screenshots and information - check it out!

JavaChick posted her review on the WiiFit - and I very much agree with most of what she says. (The Tree Pose, for a beginner like me? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.)

And here is an older post from a gamer who was determined to HATE the Wii Fit, and just couldn't do it.

Here's a funny post about Wii Fit injuries (okay, for the people who it may have happened to, it probably isn't funny . . .).

And finally - a blog about a guy who is detailing his weight loss journey with the Wii Fit. (He also has several links to other bloggers who are doing the same thing.)

I hope all of you enjoy perusing these links. Me - I am going to get back into DISCIPLINE and eat well and exercise in hopes for a loss on Friday! Wanna join me?

I'll leave you with a new "Yoga pose" created by my oldest daughter . . . I call it the Spiderman.

Happy Tuesday!

Weigh-in Information and Weekend Update

Thanks to all who followed my Wii Fit Adventure. I hope to post more updates as I unlock more games/exercises.

This weekend, my family and I went to Holiday World (a holiday themed amusement park in Santa Claus, Indiana). I didn't have time to post my weigh-in information, but it wasn't exciting.

I didn't lose any weight, and I didn't gain any either.

I'm a little worried about this weekend, because I didn't eat very well. Not that there were a lot of healthy choices!!! :-) I'm going to stay STRICTLY on plan the rest of this week and make sure I exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. That is the best I can do. :-)

How was your weekend? Did you enjoy this gorgeous weather? (Or did you get BURNT like I did?)

Have a great Monday!!!

Wii Fit: The Series, Part V - An Ode from MizFit

I asked MizFit, who has been coveting my Wii Fit since I bought it, to write a post about her thoughts on the system and finish out this series with a BANG. She did NOT let me down.

Enjoy!!

Thoughts on the Wii Fit
by MizFit

I fought it. I scoffed
"Not a gamer" I'd say.
A Wii? What is that?
It would get in the way.

I'm too busy. Don't care.
Then I saw one: WHO KNEW?
That sh** was way cool.
Oh the things it could do!

But still I resisted.
Part money. Part time.
(I've got things to do
I've poems to rhyme!)

Then they launched the Wii Fit
And I knew. Twas for me.
I've got a small secret
One you can not see.

My balance? It sucks.
(and that's being kind)
I try doing yoga.
Then fall. Change my mind.

I'm their target market
(I love fitness and fun!)
I KNOW I'd do yoga
If I just had me one.

My balance? Perfection.
If it I just had.
(that BMI stuff? not sure.
makes me mad).

My birthday approaches
I shall gift to MYSELF
the present of balance
& (*eyeroll*) of HEALTH.

Copyright 2008, MizFit.

__________________________



So that ends my series
On the way cool Wii Fit
And the reasons that all
Couch Potatoes should try it!

This is truly the end
I hope you enjoyed it
If so, go and buy one
And get one for MizFit!

(This series is not an advertisement, these views are the author's and the author is in no way connected to Nintendo.)

Wii Fit: The Series, Part IV - Balance Games

Welcome to Part IV, Wii Fit Balance Games!

This section is also quite fun, even though some of the games are kind of frustrating, because I'm not as 'balanced' as I should be.

This is the Soccer Heading game. A team of Miis kick soccer balls at your HEAD and you try to hit them. The trick is shifting your weight quickly from one side to the other . . . AND dodging things that come toward you that AREN'T soccer balls (like soccer cleats, OUCH!)

One of the things I love about the Wii System in general, is how it is so personalized and you can make your Mii look just like you! You can create Miis for your entire family - and then whenever you play - you'll find 'audience members' you will probably recognize.


For example - this is my husband making a cameo as the soccer coach in the Soccer Heading Balance Game.


The next Wii Balance Game is the Ski Slalom. You have to shift your weight back and forth to go through the colored flags. (I'm not so good at this game yet.)

Here she goes - down the hill!

Here is my oldest daughter attempting to beat my score (won't take much!)

For the next game - it is very important to note this WARNING . . .

Even though your instinct would tell you to JUMP - please don't. I don't think the Wii would like you for it.


The reason for this warning? The Ski Jump!!


For this Balance game, you bend your knees and then when it comes time - you straighten your legs and HOLD STILL. The key to this game is your center of balance while going downhill, and then your stillness and balance while flying through the air. I've gotten pretty good at this one and no one has beaten my score.

There are several other balance games including walking a tightrope, floating your Mii in a Bubble through twists and turns (I STILL haven't gotten all the way through that one), a silly (the kids love it) penguin game that is actually quite difficult, and a table balancing game that reminds me of a certain scene in National Treasure 2. There are a few more I haven't unlocked yet.

I like the Balance Games because they are fun and a good way to wind down after exercising - or just for playing when you have some time to kill.

Stay tuned for the end of the series tomorrow with a special (and humorous) guest post!

(This series is not an advertisement, these views are the author's and the author is in no way connected to Nintendo.)

Wii Fit: The Series, Part III - Strength Training

Welcome to Part III, Wii Fit Strength Training.

My 6-year-old son (with help from other family members) volunteered to model for this section. This is my son who eats like a bird, and probably needs a little bit of strength training before his 4-year-old sister beats him up!



The first thing we learned is that my son's Wii Fit age is 21! And my oldest daughter pointed out, "He can stay home by himself now!" We got a good laugh out of this. I actually wonder at the accuracy of the Wii Fit for children under a certain age - but it is still fun for family activities.

The first strength training exercise is Single Leg Extensions.


Here the trainer shows us how to do the exercise.


And here my children attempt to show us how its done.


And here is the trainer showing us the proper form of the DREADED Push-up and Side Plank Exercise. (I HATE THIS EXERCISE, I'm sure it works, but I HATE IT!)


Here is my son showing us the proper form for a push-up (isn't he cute?).


And here he is attempting to do the side plank. Not too bad!


Here our trusty trainer shows us how to do Torso Twists (MUCH EASIER THAN THE LAST EXERCISE, let me tell you!)


And here, my two oldest children do Torso Twists in sync. Now if I could just get them to stand this close to each other without fighting ALL THE TIME. :-)


Uh-oh, it's the dreaded AB exercises! Personally, I really like the Jack Knife. You lay on the floor with your heels on the Wii Balance Board. When the whistle blows, you make a V with your arms and legs and then you slowly bring yourself back down - as your feet touch the Wii Balance Board, it counts the rep. And because of the whistles, it keeps you from doing them too quickly, and helps you focus on the right muscles. It's a great exercise!!


Show them how it's done, son!


Here is another exercise I hate . . . LUNGES. My knees don't like them very much. But after walking through the Demo with the trainer, I've learned to do them correctly and I don't fall on the floor (very much).


Using the Wii Fit really is a family thing - here HunkaHubby (AKA WonderDad) shows my oldest the proper form for the lunges.


Here is the trainer example of the Rowing Squat.


And one . . .


And a two . . .

So there you have several examples of the Strength Exercises available on the Wii Fit.

Are you convinced?

Tune in tomorrow for Balance Games!

(This series is not an advertisement, these views are the author's and the author is in no way connected to Nintendo.)

Wii Fit: The Series, Part II - Aerobic Exercises

Welcome to Part II - Wii Fit Aerobic Exercises!

The Aerobic Exercises are my second favorite section of the Wii Fit. My oldest daughter helped to model this section. This section includes Hula Hoops, Step Aerobics, and running (so far).


The first aerobic exercise is HULA HOOPS! You stand on the Wii Balance Board and move your hips around in a circle.


Then, you get a challenge - one of the 'helpers' off to the side throws another hula hoop to you and you have to shift your weight to one side to try and catch the hula hoop. The more hula hoops you catch, the more spins are counted and the more points you get.


Here, my daughter has caught several hula hoops and is BURNING IT UP on her score!


Here is an example of a Hula Hoop Score! You go girl!

I have unlocked the Advanced Hula Hoop - where you spin to the right for quite some time and then you spin to the left. It keeps track of how many spins you do on each side and also how steady you are in your waist circles. This one is KILLER. I get sweaty - but it is quite fun!

Another aerobic exercise is step aerobics. This is kind of like "Dance Dance Revolution" or games such as this, where you follow the arrows and feet while keeping to the beat of the music, stepping on and off the Balance Board. This one was confusing to me at first, so I just watched the other Miis (the Wii version of ourselves) and did a much better job. My children don't do so well with this game yet.


Here is a shot of the Miis from the front.


Here is what the screen looks like as you are trying to follow the steps.

I have unlocked the ADVANCED step aerobics and it is really fun. I also unlocked a 'free step' section where you can start it up and then change the channel to watch regular TV. The Wii Remote keeps the beat for you and the Wii Balance Board keeps track of how many steps you do. I did this yesterday and incorporated arm motions, etc. I did this for 15 minutes and my ARMS HURT. Just from doing that!!!


Another aerobic exercise is running. This does not use the balance board, but the remote works kind of like a pedometer. The more you do this, different distances and 'scenery' are unlocked. You have a PACE MII in front of you to help you keep a steady running pace. If you run too fast - you fall down, it's pretty funny.

There is also a 2 person run, where another person can grab a remote and run along with you. The kids usually complain about having to walk - but they LOVE running and trying to beat each other. (I just have to keep them from running into the TV when they get carried away.)


Also - as you run, a little bouncing head of your Mii helps you keep track of how much longer you have to run to get to the finish line.

Pretty cool stuff.

Tomorrow . . . Strength Training!

(This series is not an advertisement, these views are the author's and the author is in no way connected to Nintendo.)

Wii Fit: The Series, Part I - Yoga

Welcome to Part I of my impressions of the Wii Fit! I have to admit that the Yoga exercises are my favorite so far. They are not easy for me, by any means - but the frustrated dancer in me wants to work hard to get these right!

When you choose Yoga, you see the screen with the currently unlocked exercises. What I love about this - is with every exercise you choose, the Wii Fit tells you what muscles you will be working on and what each exercise is supposed to help you accomplish.

You also choose a trainer (either male or female) who walks you through each of the exercises. The best part about this entire system (for me) is focusing on your center of balance for each exercise. The goal is to keep the red dot within the larger yellow circle. When I'm focusing on this - I'm not focusing on the fact that I'm EXERCISING. LOL And it does a great job of making sure you are doing the exercises correctly.

My gorgeous Hunkahubby so nicely volunteered to model some of these exercises for us. :-)


Here he is demonstrating the 'half moon' pose.


The other great thing with the Wii Fit Yoga exercises are the breathing exercises. The large blue circle (shown in the picture) shrinks and grows to illustrate when to inhale and exhale. This was a big help to me, as I often FORGET TO BREATHE when I'm exercising.

This is the Warrior Pose. For this exercise, you try to keep the red bar in the center area, so that your weight is correctly distributed to both legs.



Here is MY Warrior. (I call this picture, 'Warrior Butt'. LOL)



This is the Tree Pose. I love this pose - but I'm not so good at it yet.



But Hunkahubby does it pretty well!!

Well - hopefully this small commentary and accompanying photos has helped some of you see what the Wii Fit - Yoga section has to offer. My body is still aching from early this afternoon, so I know it works for me!

What are your thoughts so far??

Tomorrow - aerobic exercises!

(This series is not an advertisement, these views are the author's and the author is in no way connected to Nintendo.)

Wii Fit: The Series, Introduction

Well, I'm finally getting around to posting pictures and information about the Wii Fit. Each day this week I am going to focus on a different section of the Wii Fit and what it offers. My family so willingly (kind of) offered to test out different parts so that I could take their pictures. :-)

And before you think that I just sat on the couch and took pictures and did not take part in the Fitness myself - well you're WRONG. Saturday, I worked out for 45 minutes and today for 50. Which is UNHEARD OF, for me. I didn't want to stop, I was having so much fun. My heart rate was up, I was sweating, and I wasn't looking at the clock to see when I could finally be done.

I think the Wii Fit has its advantages and disadvantages - but for me, it is a perfect solution for someone who is trying to lose weight but does not enjoy working out in a gym with other sweaty people of different shapes and sizes. The Wii Fit also has charts and graphs and scores so you can compete against your family members and yourself. That is enough to keep the geek in me motivated - at least so far . . .

After you've set up your Wii Fit - you do a Body Test. This measures your center of balance which it explains is very important for good posture and getting the most from your workouts.



The Wii Balance Board weighs you, gives you your BMI and weight, (and very rudely tells you if you're overweight!) and after a few balance tests - tells you your 'Wii Fit age'.



This one wasn't too bad for me - as I will be 33 in December, so it is pretty close to right.

After all of this, you can choose to start doing different exercises. There are four different sections: Balance Games, Yoga, Strength Training, and Aerobic Exercises.

At the beginning, only certain exercises are unlocked - but the more you workout, the more exercises are unlocked, along with different levels of play or duration/reps per exercise. It is a great way to slowly get someone like me into an exercise routine without doing too much at once.

I look forward to showing you each of the four sections this week and hearing what your thoughts are on this system.

Tomorrow: Wii Fit Yoga!! Have a great evening!

(This series is not an advertisement, these views are the author's and the author is in no way connected to Nintendo.)

Another Milestone Reached

I weighed in this morning. I got onto the Weight Watchers website and logged my weight and was greeted with this message:

(image from www.weightwatchers.com)

Woohoo! 25 pounds. I was seriously prepared for just a maintenance week, so I was pleasantly surprised by the scales this morning!

I have been offically "on plan" for 14 weeks. So that's about 1.7 pounds lost per week. Which is just about right. :-)

Here is my cool little chart:

And since we're all about 'full disclosure' here . . . here is a list of my weight over those 14 weeks.
(images from www.weightwatchers.com)

So because I've lost 25 pounds, I suppose it is time for a picture, which Hunkahubby hastily took with my iPhone this morning before I left for work.

Here I am - 25 lbs lighter! Still a long way to go - but I'm getting there!!

This week's goal - using my Wii Fit EVERY DAY!! What are your goals for this week?

Another reason why I love the Wii . . . and other things . . .

I read this article today and it made me smile. I believe that the Nintendo folks are GENIUS - and I love the way that the Wii has such a BROAD audience!

In other news - I haven't been tracking my food very well and I need to get back on track. I don't think I've been OVER-eating, but I have been snacking more than usual. I need to get back on my drinking water kick and KICK my bad habit in the butt.

And I need to start the uhh . . . getting up early and exercising thing . . . that hasn't quite happened yet.

I'll get there, I will!! How are you doing?

The gain was inevitable - but it is ooookay

I was back up to 196 today. But after 4 days (Memorial Day weekend) of not tracking my food and the dreaded (but makes for a great excuse!) water weight gain, I wasn't surprised . . . and I'm determined to make up for it at the next weigh in.

As for the Wii Fit, I continue to be impressed by how it motivates me. It is so FUN I don't realize I'm exercising. I LOVE IT. Best money I've spent. (Yes MizFit, you NEED one.)

My two favorite activities (that I've unlocked so far . . .) are the step aerobics and the boxing. Both of these activities involve rhythm and music and I'm a frustrated dancer anyway.

My goal for this next week is to get up early every morning and use the Wii Fit. My problem this past week has been working it in whenever I have a few minutes and so the measurements have been all out of whack because I've done it at various times, instead of the same time every day. I have to start making this as much of a priority as watching what I eat. I also found this information about the best time of day to exercise, and I totally agree.

I also found an enlightening blog online about a guy who used the Wii Fit for several weeks before his wedding and journaled about his experience. The final report is here. Check it out.

Finally - I have another Healthy Food Find. I tried a different South Beach Wrap Kit.

The Southwestern Style Chicken Wrap Sandwich Kit is AWESOME. I like it almost as much as the Sesame Wrap Kit. And this one is good both warmed up or cold. I've become a salsa addict of late, so this feeds into that rather well. :-) This yummy meal has 240 Calories, 11 g of fat,
15 g of fiber, and 25 g of protein. (Quite a bit of sodium, so don't eat this every day!) Try it - you'll find it in the lunch meat section of the grocery.

Everyone have a GREAT weekend and keep on striving to be healthy!