Can You Lose Weight with the Wii?

One week ago I purchased Wii Fit for the Nintendo Wii. All the reviews I had read prior to my purchase were positive. I had even read of persons losing weight, so long as they continued to play the game. You saw my stats from last week. There have been some changes.

8/9/09
Starting Weight: 259lbs
Waist: 40"
BMI (Body Mass Index): 36.1

8/16/09
Weight: 253lbs
Waist: 40"
BMI (Body Mass Index): 35.4

As you can see, there was a decrease in my overall BMI because my weight dropped 6lbs in one week. It is important to note that I am exercising and measuring at the same time of day, every day, to ensure consistent results. I was told by my Wiifit Balance Board that body weight can fluctuate as much as 2lbs during the course of the day.

No big miracles to report. I'm exercising daily for at least 30 minutes. My diet is pretty much the same, although I have begun a vitamin regimen and I have been increasing my fiber. I am not at this point counting calories, but I am trying to be mindful of the sizes of my servings, limiting myself to a single helping, and not eating too late. I am also not depriving myself of any particular food groups (i.e. carbs, sugars, fats, etc.). In fact, I'm eating a Chips Ahoy cookie and some 1% milk right now for desert.

The game, as of one week, is still holding my interest. As I perform better in the exercises, I unlock new exercises as well as new variations to the already unlocked games. For example, instead of having to stack together three or four "short run" sessions to get some run time in, I can now choose an 11 minute "island run" or a "custom run". Yoga exercises can be combined now during my sessions, although I have not yet tried to do so.

While I exercise each morning, I have begun to notice that I've drawn a small audience. My kids are sneaking downstairs to watch me work out before they get ready for school. Not only do they watch me exercise, each of my children have created their own profiles and are busy unlocking new exercises themselves. In fact, there is now a bit of competition in our family to see who can set the best records in each event. The children do not need to lose weight, but I am glad to see them increasing their activities, especially on days when the weather does not favor playing outside.

That ends my summary of week one with the Wii Fit. I'm losing weight, and I hope that I continue to do so at a steady pace. Of course, you'll be able to watch my progress or decline right here. Thanks for reading.