Wii Fit Journal #1

I originally bought Wii Fit when it first came out back in 2007. At that time, I was at my lightest weight in my adult life (195). When I actually started exercising, I gained weight, much to the displeasure of the cartoon balance board on the screen, considering my BMI was around 24-25 at the time and the goal was to get it down to 22. Muscle, I thought? Anyway, I continued regularly for about a month or so before quitting, ending at around 205 (went through a break-up during that time, so that might have had something to do with it). Since then, my relationship with my balance board was sparse. Every once in a while, I'd get back on it and work out, but that would only last a few days or so. My main source of physical activity was going hiking and backpacking. I would also do DDR, go running. I tried 5BX and had a few stints with that. Point is, I wasn't playing video games much and I was going outside for things to do. In 2009, I did the Wonderland Trail, a 100 mile loop in the state of Washington. I was definitely in the best shape of my life at that time. I think I was around 200 at that time. After that, I moved to Oregon...and things slowed down. I bought Wii Fit Plus when it came out, but again, it didn't last long. I think I stuck with it for about a week or so. I ran my first 5K race in May of 2010, with a time of around a half an hour. Not exactly blistering speeds, but I was still happy I managed to do the entire race. When my time at U of O started in the Fall of 2010, I was walking and riding my bicycle to school everyday, so I felt like my time with the Wii Fit was done. I know the game isn't meant to make you a Spartan, rather it's a springboard to higher levels of activity. I sold the bundle a few months ago on Craigslist...

...fast forward to this summer. I was having pains in my leg and lower back from bad posture (I partially blame the rubbish seating in summer school, but I digress). Also, I gained 10 pounds since the Winter term (complacent lifestyle, not hiking as much, eating junk, et cetera). I was still walking and biking to school though. Last week, I went onto Craigslist and bought a Wii Fit board with Wii Fit Plus (luckily, I got it cheaper than I sold it for). I had deleted my original file from my Wii when I sold my first board, so the cartoon balance board wasn't appalled at me gaining 10 pounds. I'm resolved to doing an hour of exercise every day (a half hour doing a randomly assembled Wii Fit Plus Routine and half an hour doing the "Free Run"). The idea is that I would do this everyday so that I would get some kind of physical activity if I didn't walk or ride my bike to school. Think of it like "If nothing else...", you know?

My routine burns around 380 calories it's over, so I can look forward to a legitimate pound of fat being burned every 9-10 days (3,500 calories equals one pound of body fat). Even when I'd gained the weight, I thought I was in decent shape. I can still do the push-ups, the plank, the yoga, and whatnot, but it's harder than I remembered the first time around. It definitely got me sweating (a good sign, I think).

Five days later (today), I've lost 3 pounds. I started at 216 and am now down to 213. Most of it is probably water weight though. More importantly, my leg and back pains are substantially less than they were. If nothing else, the Wii Fit has made me more aware about what I put into my mouth as far as calories versus nutrition. For example, if I eat "A" at this time, how might it affect tomorrow's weigh-in or my overall health?

Maybe I'm being vain. It was only 10 pounds since winter and there are folks who are struggling to lose much more than that. Thing is, my heaviest weight in my adult life was 255 and I don't want to go back there.

My last long stretch with Wii Fit was about a month or so. Why should this be any different? Truth is, I don't know if it will. I'd like to lose the weight I gained and adopt a healthier rhetoric when I'm done. However, I think that's a flaw in and of itself. Health is not a goal. It's a journey. The goal is not to get sick or injured. Again, Wii Fit is not meant to make anyone a Spartan or a Coastie. It's meant to get you to be aware of your body, maybe tone up some areas, and act as a springboard toward better health. Who knows, maybe I'll actually take up rock climbing later in life?