Man attributes weight loss to Wii.

[civil_dead]

Reuters is reporting on a fellow from Philadelphia who claims to have slimmed down by using his Wii for 30 minutes a day:
After six weeks and 21 hours of total game play on Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s new game console, Philadelphia resident Mickey DeLorenzo is nine pounds (4 kgs) lighter and making a splash with his new svelte self.
The full story can be found here (http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=2007-01-19T230815Z_01_N1J342156_RTRUKOC_0_US-NINTENDO-WII-WEIGHTLOSS.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-C5-technologyNews-3).

Everyone I know that owns a Wii constantly brings up how much of a workout it is. Surely Nintendo is working on a true workout game?

[resikel]

This is why I bought my Wii. I need to slim down about 20lbs. It's cheaper and more fun than a treadmill!

[Wolvie]

Hell, I believe it. A friend of mine came over with his Wii on new years eve, and I was sweating my chubby ass off after a few rounds of Wii sports. It was fun too, I can't wait till I get a Wii so I can work off my surplus flab.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

Yeah, but how many TV's did he break to accomplish that 9 pounds?

[Mantooth]

I could take some before and after pics 10 seconds apart that looked like that if I flex a little like he is in the after picture.

[Odwalla]

Go cold turkey on soft drinks and eat smaller portions. You'll lose 9 lbs a lot faster than three weeks.

[Schnoogs]

9lbs in 6 weeks?? I've dropped that much in a day from just taking a dump and not rehydrating myself.

[resikel]

9lbs in 6 weeks?? I've dropped that much in a day from just taking a dump and not rehydrating myself.

Yeah, we know you have a lot of shit in you. ;)

[Schnoogs]

Yeah, we know you have a lot of shit in you. ;)

Joking aside 9lbs isn't much at all over 6 weeks. Most people when they wake up are a good 5lbs lighter.

Body weight fluctuates all the time even on a daily basis.

[bapenguin]

Want a workout? Play the new DragonballZ game on the Wii. Holy shit. It's button mashing without buttons. You basically just flail your arms wildly for 15 minutes straight.

[easi]

Just like the anime!

[Slack3r78]

Joking aside 9lbs isn't much at all over 6 weeks. Most people when they wake up are a good 5lbs lighter.

Body weight fluctuates all the time even on a daily basis.
I used to fluctuate a good 5-10 pounds a day. These days it's closer to 2-3 pounds a day of fluctuation.

My measure for weight loss is based on what the median point of that fluctuation is. I dropped about 15 pounds in about 3 weeks when I was running regularly a couple of months back. There'd be days where it'd be more or less than that, but that's about what the average was.

[HumpYourWay]

If he lost weight because he used a Wii only 30 minutes a day it says alot about the physics of that Philly guy, yikes.
I really dont buy it loosing weight because of a Wii. Besides it doesnt train the legs or the sixpack too much I guess. How about weights for the controllers so that at least the biceps gets worked out.

[Klunka]

Yea, the human body can fluctuate as much as 5 pounds every day (as someone mentioned before). 9 pounds in 6 weeks is hardly process.

[Cool AN]

I need to work out more, and I plan on buying a Wii at some point, lucky me.

[bitwise]

Yea, the human body can fluctuate as much as 5 pounds every day (as someone mentioned before). 9 pounds in 6 weeks is hardly process.

The human body gains and loses around 10 pounds through the course of a day due to eating, shitting and other bodily functions like that. When someone says "I lost such and such weight", they are likely talking about the weight on average. Like, if you weighed yourself at the same time everyday (right after waking up, per se) and saw your weight go down, it might be a pretty good indicator.

With this guy, we really can't know since the amount he lost is within the normal fluctuations of his body, but I suspect he's actually losing weight playing the Wii, although there are clearly more efficient ways he could be doing it.

[Johan]

Go cold turkey on soft drinks and eat smaller portions. You'll lose 9 lbs a lot faster than three weeks.

Damn straight. That's exactly what I need to do. But I don't want to. :(

I need to lose 20 pounds. I guess I need 2.2 Wiis, or 70 mins. a day on one? :)

[Slack3r78]

Damn straight. That's exactly what I need to do. But I don't want to. :(

I need to lose 20 pounds. I guess I need 2.2 Wiis, or 70 mins. a day on one? :)
Sometimes I just switch up from beer to hard liquor for a while.

[fable2323]

Instead of trying to break down how this guy "Didn't Lose" nine pounds playing the Wii, be glad that he did. Most americans are overweight. To some of you, nine pounds might not be much, but to those who struggle with their weight, nine pounds is amazing. I congratulate him on his success whether it can be attributed to the Wii or not.

And dont get me wrong, I am not some overweight guy crying out to the masses. In fact that is the furthest thing from the truth as I am 6 ft 1 inch 175 lbs and I exercise 6 or more times a week.

[Loganrapp]

If he lost weight because he used a Wii only 30 minutes a day it says alot about the physics of that Philly guy, yikes.
I really dont buy it loosing weight because of a Wii. Besides it doesnt train the legs or the sixpack too much I guess. How about weights for the controllers so that at least the biceps gets worked out.

The point is motion - burning energy. How it's done matters little - he's not building muscle, he's cutting away fat.

[ElectricMonk]

What they need to do is make a game like that police 911 game they have in the arcades. Your legs will kill the first time you play that game.

[Xerxes]

six weeks and 21 hours. That's lite.

[Siraris]

If you play Tennis and really get into it, I can see it being a workout. But there's a lot more that goes into losing weight than working out. He could have lost water weight, who knows? I usually fluctuate 5 or 6 lbs a day, just the way my body works.

[RMan]

What they need to do is make a game like that police 911 game they have in the arcades.
Yea, I'd love to see that one too. Seems like a good use of the controller, and that was a fairly fun shooter (need to get a good port of Time Crisis and Virtua Cop games on the Wii, just so I have more reasons to be upset that I can't buy one :().

[Kamalot]

I see some people here are more interested in debunking this guy's claims instead of congratlating him on being more active.

Putting down someone for droping a few pounds only makes you look fat and jealous.

[bryan]

If he really wanted to make a hoax out of this, he could have given a higher figure for the weight loss.

And whoever said that the Wii doesn't work your legs or abs, what's that gotta do with anything? The article doesn't say anything about toning specific muscles, just losing weight. And it's not RECOMMENDING you use a Wii to lose weight. It's just stating that you can lose weight. I hope you understand the distinction.

[Schnoogs]

I want to post the results of a scientific study I just conducted ;)

I weighed myself before I went to dinner tonight....178.5lbs

Drove to Outback...ate a house salad, Mad Max burger with fries, 2 cokes and a water.

Drove home and weighed myself 184.5lbs

The scale is digital and rounds to the nearest half pound. So let's say worst case scenerio it's off by 1lb. That means I gained at the most 7 and at the least 5.

Pretty sure after a long night of playing the XBox and a full nights worth of sleep I will be back to 178.5 in the morning (morning dump will help).

NEWS FLASH....man loses 6lbs playing XBox 360 in one night!!!! ;)

[easi]

Sitting on your fat ass playing Xbox won't do anything for cardio, Wii boxing will though.

[Schnoogs]

Sitting on your fat ass playing Xbox won't do anything for cardio, Wii boxing will though.

Sigh......some people just don't seem to comprehend that 9lbs in 6 weeks is MEANINGLESS.

[Draconis]

Reuters isn't exactly giving the entirety of the story. If you want a more detailed picture of everything, go here.

http://wiinintendo.net/2007/01/15/wii-sports-experiment-results/

This details everything the guy did. This bit of news came up long ago on several other game news sites long before Reuters covered it, and Digg also hit up the news with it as well. While to some, 9 pounds of loss of weight in 6 weeks may seem meaningless, in 6 weeks time doing something like this 30 minutes a day, without the guy changing his diet at all, is meaningful. Your metabolism gradually increases, and after the workout, continues to burn calories at a higher rate no matter what you are doing for that category. (Rate of burn while sleeping, eating, etc. It's increased period.)

Eventually, your body loses some mass and weight. People who haven't worked out on a regular basis expect results too fast. Such is almost never the case unless you pretty much work out almost the entire day every day. And at that point, your body would undergo a pretty good amount of physical stress in one way or another, forcing you to slow down depending on how you handled your workout and variety.

The experiement worked for the guy. Plain and simple. I play Wii sports Boxing at least an hour day just for fun when I get home to let off some steam. All I can say is that after I do, I feel alot better both stress wise and health wise. *Shrugs*

Take it with a grain of salt if you like, but the proof is in the pudding as they say.

Draconis

[easi]

Sigh......some people just don't seem to comprehend that 9lbs in 6 weeks is MEANINGLESS.

SIGH... some Wii-downplaying tards don't seem to comprehend there's more to excercise than losing weight. I did mention cardio.

[rinichanraar]

Reuters isn't exactly giving the entirety of the story. If you want a more detailed picture of everything, go here.

http://wiinintendo.net/2007/01/15/wii-sports-experiment-results/

Wow. Well, I'm impressed. :)

[Schnoogs]

SIGH... some Wii-downplaying tards don't seem to comprehend there's more to excercise than losing weight. I did mention cardio.

Sigh...some people aren't smart enough to realize that just because your weight has gone down and you're playing a game that there's a correlation between the two.

I guess I didn't see the "cardio chart" :D

[hoopchi]

In my humble opinion, he's looking for a sponsorship or job somewhat like Jared of Subway fame. Maybe he and his girl will be in future Wii commercials smack talking the 360 and PS3 for being too big and powerful...

[pawnblue]

You guys should really dig into the site a little more, the guy did a great job tracking the weight loss.

9 lbs in 6 weeks is a big deal, (even without the other benefits he tracked, like 3.5 inches off his waist) and he wasn't in horrible shape in the first place.

What diet and exercise plans recommend losing more than 2 lbs a week? If you are overweight and drop weight faster than 3lbs a week, you are going to have extra skin.

This guy is showing that you can make a small and very enjoyable change in your daily routine, and drop a little weight. It's good for his health and for the perception of video games. With a lot of parents playing the Wii too, it could have a nice impact on some people's quality of life.

[civil_dead]

SIGH... some Wii-downplaying tards don't seem to comprehend there's more to excercise than losing weight. I did mention cardio.
<Mayor Quimby Voice>

Oh God, can't one of my threads go one day without name calling?

</Mayor Quimby Voice>

[HumpYourWay]

The point is motion - burning energy. How it's done matters little - he's not building muscle, he's cutting away fat.

Anyone who "cuts" away fat because of using a Wii 30 minutes a day should rethink his live anyway. But whatever I just think if you consider using a wii workout, phew - sad america... :rolleyes:

[HumpYourWay]

Sigh......some people just don't seem to comprehend that 9lbs in 6 weeks is MEANINGLESS.

Well what do you expect? We are talking about Wii-tards jerking off to zelda and leaving their home almost never - I kid, I kid...

[HumpYourWay]

I see some people here are more interested in debunking this guy's claims instead of congratlating him on being more active.


Thats because some people have common sense!!!!!!!! :rolleyes:

[dead]

Forget your wii. If you really want to get fit then lace up and go for a jog at your closet park.

Start at 3km and gradually work your way up to 7km. You only need to run once a week :p

You'll feel better AND gain a better attitude to yourself.

[Blog]

Take it with a grain of salt if you like, but the proof is in the pudding as they say. Not quite. That might be what "they" say in some places, but the rest of us get it right. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating" is how that one actually goes (".. in the tasting" is also acceptable).

Not busting on you specifically, Draconis, but this is one of my pet peeves that I can never seem to just let go of. I now return you all to your regular thread. Cheers!

[fiercey]

Losing weight is just a simple matter of -burning more calories- and -eating less calories-. Very very simple.

In all likelihood, by playing the Wii he was moving more and stuffing his maw less. That equals weight loss.

-f

[fiercey]

Not quite. That might be what "they" say in some places, but the rest of us get it right. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating" is how that one actually goes (".. in the tasting" is also acceptable).

Not busting on you specifically, Draconis, but this is one of my pet peeves that I can never seem to just let go of. I now return you all to your regular thread. Cheers!


Nope, the proof really *is* in the pudding. I took a big dump there.

-f

[BabyJesus]

Is it because he threw his Wiimote at the TV and busted it so he sit his fat ass in front of it anymore.

[Nessus]

How many of the people doubting this have actually played Wii Boxing for any extended period of time? That game is exhausting, especially if you let yourself get into it.

I have no trouble believing you could lose weight if you did that every single day.

[Draconis]

*Shrugs* Face it, some people are going to throw their arms up and scowl at it in disgust no matter what you do. They may sit there and go 'I'm being realistic about this' or 'I know what I'm talking about! It isn't possible! '. That's fine, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

It doesn't mean their opinion is RIGHT however. People can argue until they are blue in the face all they want. I DO work out. Constantly. I do know how this kind of stuff works. Including average daily loss due to water weight, stress levels, etc. That's one of the reasons why they say weigh yourself at the same time every day.

The guy did his experiment in a proper scientific manner, following the Scientific method as he should. He threw out a Theory, then gathered up his Hipothesis and how he was going to conduct the experiment. Personally, I am of the opinion that if you want to go ahead and DEBUNK what the dude is saying, actually take a look at his data first and then go ahead and go point by point on WHY it is wrong and WHY you think it is BS. And don't sit there and go. 'IT ISN'T POSSIBLE! That's AVERAGE WEIGHT LOSS FOR A BODY DURING A DAYYY!!!!!"

Look at the pictures of the guy. I am sorry, but as it goes, you want ultimate proof of weight loss, don't look at a scale. Look at a freaking Mirror. That's where you truly see the results in yourself. The Scale only tells how much you lost, not how much BETTER you look physically after the results are calculated. Looking at those pictures, YES< the guy did lose the Weight. A fair amount of it. People on Weight Loss problems succeed less than this guy did and they spend longer at it only dieting and adjusting caloric intake etc.

But I myself have looked through the guys Data. Over a 6 week period, his results are consistent with average workout period for what he did. Hell, at one point in my life I was working out for an hour every day, no matter the day. 1 hour of pure Cardio workout NONSTOP. Barely a moment of rest. In that period, every couple of days or so I looked int he mirror, scale weight not withstanding, I could see a VISUAL difference in how I looked. I lost 10 lbs in that small period of working out. And that's from an grueling excersize a heck of alot harder then this guy did.

Put simply, the guy threw himself into the Sports in Wii sports as hard as he could, FORCING his body to exert itself to the max possible measure. With him doing this 30 minutes a day, yes, his results are consistent. All he was really doing was boosting his metabolism, as well as tearing some muscle tissue and then making it leaner. The body doesn't truly start to burn fat off until after about 30 minutes of true cardio workout roughly. What this did for the guy was very simple. It kept his Metabolism at a constant higher rate, so that he burned more calories because he trained his body to accept the fact that it would be going through some grueling work every single day. His body then said, 'Ok, time to turn up the fire to burn more fuel so I have more energy to expend.'

The Rule is simple. Your Metabolism increase, you burn more calories. Burn more Calories, lose weight.


Regardless, the guys facts stack up against the Naysayers. Throw Flaming pitch on it, Sling your flaming arrows etc. Some will agree, others will continue to disbelieve no matter what occurrs. That's your choice.

Just understand it doesn't mean your right, as I said before.

The Guys Data stands up. Period. Argue until your blue in the face, until you actually go after his data and try and argue against that and debunk that, any arguments hold no water as far as I am concerned.

[Dr./Mrs. Bits]

Here are my two cents....

Take a look at this article (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17142504&query_hl=11&itool=pubmed_docsum), an actual scientifically sound study examining energy expenditure while playing Eye Toy and DDR.

A few basic principles I'd like to share (from the perspective of a doctor who faces this problem with her patients DAILY):
1. To monitor your weight loss (or gain), you should weigh yourself at the same time every day. As people have been pointing out, your weight fluctuates normally throughout the day, so picking a time to weigh daily is important.
2. A weight loss of 9 pounds in 6 weeks *is* significant. Thousands of studies have shown that slow and steady weight loss is the kind that is kept off long-term. Losing more than 2 or 3 pounds a week is not only very unhealthy, but not something you can keep off. Your body needs time to reset its millions of metabolic processes to the new weight.
3. Losing even as little as 5-10% of your current body weight, no matter what it is, significantly reduces your risk of things like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.
4. Increasing your activity level in lots of small ways throughout the day (taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking at stores in the space furthest away from the door, getting up from your desk at work for 5 minutes an hour to walk the halls) all adds up. Some people find it easy to get an inexpensive pedometer to wear, with a goal of at least 10,000 steps a day (shown to cardiovascular and weight loss benefits). These small changes may contribute to weight loss (especially in the setting of portion control and calorie reduction), but in general contribute to cardiovascular health. So if small things like that add up, imagine what 10 or 20 minutes a day of Wii/DDR/Eye Toy would do?
5. Diets like Atkins are not healthy. The only "diet" program out there I would endorse is Weight Watchers (they have a great new online tool to help you track what you eat, your activity level and your weight loss progress) and maybe South Beach. The problem with all of those fad diets is that they promote fast weight loss without any kind of modification of your overall lifestyle. If you think about it, losing 20 or 30 pounds in a month on Atkins, then returning to your old habits that got you overweight to begin with, and then regaining the weight (and often then some) is actually worse than if you never did the diet at all. You end up with an unhealthy weight fluctuation coupled with the disappointment of regaining the weight. Weight Watchers actually teaches you changes in your overall lifestyle that are practical and (most importantly) sustainable.
6. If you drink a can or more of things like soda, fruit juice, or gatorade every day, try replacing those with water, or water with a calorie-free flavor supplement like Crystal Light. You will be amazed at the weight loss you will experience by making a seemingly insignificant change like that. I've had kids iin my clinic who drink 3 sodas a day (if you add up those calories, it's a lot), and switch to water, and the weight falls off without their having to change much else.

As a pediatrician, I counsel kids and families every single day about this very issue. It usually feels like an uphill battle, but I don't think it's an unsolvable problem. After watching my cousin's kids huff and puff their way through 30 minutes of an eye toy game and begging to keep playing, I am this close to starting to literally write prescriptions for eye toy, DDR, or Wii game time. Problem is, most of my patients' families can't afford video game consoles or accessories, and can afford to feed their families with $2 happy meals and $1 cases of soda...but that's another issue for another day. Sorry for posting so much about this, but it's something I'm pretty passionate about.

[Draconis]

Nothing to be sorry about Dr./Mrs. Bits, you bring up good points, and truthful ones at that. I even learned something about it. I always knew doctors considered atkins unhealthy, but the reasons why that were always cited was due to the high fat, no proper carbs taken in, etc.

Your reasonsings about the AFTERMATH of it however, make perfect sense to me as to why doctors would consider it unhealthy. A very enlightening fact. Low Carb diets can work, *and this doesn't mean constant fat. Vegans basically do Low Carb Diets* The main problem is....finding a Healthy diet, and 2, sticking with it. Which most people do NOT do as you have pointed out, After they lose the weight.

Thanks for your informative post. :)

Draconis

[fitbabits]

Here are my two cents....

Take a look at this article (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17142504&query_hl=11&itool=pubmed_docsum), an actual scientifically sound study examining energy expenditure while playing Eye Toy and DDR.

A few basic principles I'd like to share (from the perspective of a doctor who faces this problem with her patients DAILY):
1. To monitor your weight loss (or gain), you should weigh yourself at the same time every day. As people have been pointing out, your weight fluctuates normally throughout the day, so picking a time to weigh daily is important.
2. A weight loss of 9 pounds in 6 weeks *is* significant. Thousands of studies have shown that slow and steady weight loss is the kind that is kept off long-term. Losing more than 2 or 3 pounds a week is not only very unhealthy, but not something you can keep off. Your body needs time to reset its millions of metabolic processes to the new weight.
3. Losing even as little as 5-10% of your current body weight, no matter what it is, significantly reduces your risk of things like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.
4. Increasing your activity level in lots of small ways throughout the day (taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking at stores in the space furthest away from the door, getting up from your desk at work for 5 minutes an hour to walk the halls) all adds up. Some people find it easy to get an inexpensive pedometer to wear, with a goal of at least 10,000 steps a day (shown to cardiovascular and weight loss benefits). These small changes may contribute to weight loss (especially in the setting of portion control and calorie reduction), but in general contribute to cardiovascular health. So if small things like that add up, imagine what 10 or 20 minutes a day of Wii/DDR/Eye Toy would do?
5. Diets like Atkins are not healthy. The only "diet" program out there I would endorse is Weight Watchers (they have a great new online tool to help you track what you eat, your activity level and your weight loss progress) and maybe South Beach. The problem with all of those fad diets is that they promote fast weight loss without any kind of modification of your overall lifestyle. If you think about it, losing 20 or 30 pounds in a month on Atkins, then returning to your old habits that got you overweight to begin with, and then regaining the weight (and often then some) is actually worse than if you never did the diet at all. You end up with an unhealthy weight fluctuation coupled with the disappointment of regaining the weight. Weight Watchers actually teaches you changes in your overall lifestyle that are practical and (most importantly) sustainable.
6. If you drink a can or more of things like soda, fruit juice, or gatorade every day, try replacing those with water, or water with a calorie-free flavor supplement like Crystal Light. You will be amazed at the weight loss you will experience by making a seemingly insignificant change like that. I've had kids iin my clinic who drink 3 sodas a day (if you add up those calories, it's a lot), and switch to water, and the weight falls off without their having to change much else.

As a pediatrician, I counsel kids and families every single day about this very issue. It usually feels like an uphill battle, but I don't think it's an unsolvable problem. After watching my cousin's kids huff and puff their way through 30 minutes of an eye toy game and begging to keep playing, I am this close to starting to literally write prescriptions for eye toy, DDR, or Wii game time. Problem is, most of my patients' families can't afford video game consoles or accessories, and can afford to feed their families with $2 happy meals and $1 cases of soda...but that's another issue for another day. Sorry for posting so much about this, but it's something I'm pretty passionate about.
If ever there was any doubt about why I love my wife so much, this thread is enough to put those doubts to rest. She's easily the most loving and compassionate person I've ever had the good fortune to meet.

As a child advocate, you cannot get any better.

As a caring and thoughtful physician, you'd be hard pressed to meet anyone who comes close.

As an all-round nutjob and purveyor of the most apropos cussing in videogames, she's right up there with the best!

Oh, and she's awfully purdy as well.

[Johan]

knocking out sodas is a terrific way to lose weight...

if only I had the gumption to do it. I love my sodas...:(

[Kamalot]

I love my sodas...:(
More than eggs, bacon, coffee and toast?

[Schnoogs]

A weight loss of 9 pounds in 6 weeks *is* significant. Thousands of studies have shown that slow and steady weight loss is the kind that is kept off long-term. Losing more than 2 or 3 pounds a week is not only very unhealthy, but not something you can keep off. Your body needs time to reset its millions of metabolic processes to the new weight

So I should be concerned that I've lost about 25lbs in 2 months?

I stopped weight lifting and eating 3 protein shakes a days...weight fell like a freight train.

[civil_dead]

Here are my two cents....

<SNIP>
5. Diets like Atkins are not healthy. The only "diet" program out there I would endorse is Weight Watchers (they have a great new online tool to help you track what you eat, your activity level and your weight loss progress) and maybe South Beach. The problem with all of those fad diets is that they promote fast weight loss without any kind of modification of your overall lifestyle. If you think about it, losing 20 or 30 pounds in a month on Atkins, then returning to your old habits that got you overweight to begin with, and then regaining the weight (and often then some) is actually worse than if you never did the diet at all. You end up with an unhealthy weight fluctuation coupled with the disappointment of regaining the weight. Weight Watchers actually teaches you changes in your overall lifestyle that are practical and (most importantly) sustainable.
<SNIP>

At the risk of having the Mighty Ban Hammer thrust upon my nether regions, I must take umbrage with your dismissal of Atkins. Four years ago on Atkins I reached my goal of losing 75 pounds and have kept it off ever since. As a result, my cholesterol and blood pressure dropped down significantly (I'm as fit as a 21 year old strapping lad!) and I am generally much healthier than... well, I have ever been.

I will agree with you though about how people jump off the diet (any diet, actually) and then put all the weight back on. That was the trouble with Atkins. People thought they could go on the diet, lose the weight then go back to their old lifestyles. Of course they were bound to fail. For me, it really was a complete lifestyle change and I have never looked back. Losing that much weight will put the fear of God into you about ever gaining it back. Four or five times a year I allow myself to go on carb bender, but for the most part it was about adjusting my lifestyle.

Plus, on Atkins I can practically live off of whiskey and diet coke. And boy have I ever...

[J Arcane]

How many of the people doubting this have actually played Wii Boxing for any extended period of time? That game is exhausting, especially if you let yourself get into it.

I have no trouble believing you could lose weight if you did that every single day.
Nor I. If you let yourselve get into it, Boxing and Tennis in particular are quite the work out.

I suspect the problem with a lot of the negative commentary in this thread stems from people either not having played with the thing, or being uptight dorks who just sit on their asses instead of getting into it and having fun.


As a side comment, Atkins, frankly, horrifies me. The only reason it works is because you're effectively starving yourself while still technically consuming food. Carbohydrates are the basic energy unit of the body, what it uses to keep you running. They are as essential as any other nutrient. Not to mention all the other important nutrients you're missing out on by avoiding "carb-heavy" foods. It's a hideously unhealthy way to live, and I think it's one of the most irresponsible and idiotic fad diets ever perpetrated.

Balance in all things. Eat a healthy, balanced diet, and get off your ass more often, and you'll get the weight off in due time, and it'll stay off, and all without destroying your body in the process.

[Kamalot]

Oh, and she's awfully purdy as well.
Great post by Mrs. Bits, but you can't tease us like this. Now we demand photos! ;)

[Dr./Mrs. Bits]

So I should be concerned that I've lost about 25lbs in 2 months?

I stopped weight lifting and eating 3 protein shakes a days...weight fell like a freight train.

I can't really comment on that without knowing more about you, your baseline weight for height, percent body fat, underlying medical conditions, etc. It is actually common to have an initial significant weight loss when starting a program, then for it to decelerate somewhat.

[fitbabits]

Great post by Mrs. Bits, but you can't tease us like this. Now we demand photos! ;)
As requested:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a390/fitbabits/aci1061.jpg

Mrs. Bits is the one with the blond hair. :)

[Dr./Mrs. Bits]

As a side comment, Atkins, frankly, horrifies me. The only reason it works is because you're effectively starving yourself while still technically consuming food. Carbohydrates are the basic energy unit of the body, what it uses to keep you running. They are as essential as any other nutrient. Not to mention all the other important nutrients you're missing out on by avoiding "carb-heavy" foods. It's a hideously unhealthy way to live, and I think it's one of the most irresponsible and idiotic fad diets ever perpetrated.

Balance in all things. Eat a healthy, balanced diet, and get off your ass more often, and you'll get the weight off in due time, and it'll stay off, and all without destroying your body in the process.

Amen to both of those points.

When you're on Atkins, your body enters a metabolic state called ketosis, when it lacks a source of glucose (the basic energy unit the body uses) due to restricted or no carbohydrates. Ketosis is NOT a healthy state to be in, it's what we hospitalize diabetics for sometimes, and can actually be fatal (the so-called "diabetic coma"). I have known several Atkins devotees who go around with the telltale "fruity" breath of ketosis, which is essentially your body's way of blowing off excess acetone. Sure, some people have long-lasting results, but for the vast majority, it is an unhealthy way to eat both in the short and long term, and it does not teach a healthy, long-lasting lifestyle change.

The second point - about balance - is really what it all boils down to. It also is essential to approach any weight loss program not as a quick fix but as a life-long change in your lifestyle as an investment in your future health. But - this is all definitely easier said than done. At the risk of sounding like a paid endorser (which I am not) for Weight Watchers, it is really the best commercially available program, in my opinion, to teach you that balance in a realistic, real-life/practical way.

[Schnoogs]

As requested:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a390/fitbabits/aci1061.jpg

Mrs. Bits is the one with the blond hair. :)

Did you guys get married in the states?

[fitbabits]

Did you guys get married in the states?
Aye, that we did. On April 28, 2001 in Chapel Hill, NC. It was a Saturday and the weather was divine. Oddly enough, it snowed in Chapel Hill the week before and was gloomy and overcast leading up to the big day.

BTW, 04/28/2001 was the best day of my life.

[Schnoogs]

Aye, that we did. On April 28, 2001 in Chapel Hill, NC. It was a Saturday and the weather was divine. Oddly enough, it snowed in Chapel Hill the week before and was gloomy and overcast leading up to the big day.

BTW, 04/28/2001 was the best day of my life.

I saw the kilt and wasn't sure if you got married in Scotland.

[fitbabits]

I saw the kilt and wasn't sure if you got married in Scotland.
We combined traditional American and Scottish ceremonies, which was a first for our church. The Reverend Robert Dunham did a fantastic job and kept my tears of joy from overshadowing the ceremony.

Not to boast too much, but people still talk about our wedding - even those who didn't attend.

[easi]

Nice catch.

[fitbabits]

Nice catch.
Thanks, man. I definitely married "up"!

[Kamalot]

Thanks, man. I definitely married "up"!
By a number of steps apparently!

;)

[Draconis]

Heh, that's awesome Fits. Me and my GF have talked alot about how we are going to get married, and we've both kinda decided that we are going to try and do an old fashioned Ren faire style wedding. But...not the atypical Ren Faire ordeal some might think of.

Being Irish and Scottish both myself, I have to chuckle when I talk to my best friend about being my best man, and how he is saying he is going to wear a traditional Scottish garb during that period, including Kilt. Kind of adds a nice touch to things.

And yes, I definitley agree. You got yourself a nice catch there. Both in mind and body. You definitley did Marry up Man. Grats to you and to your Wife.

Draconis

[Nessus]

What a weird, yet heartwarming, tangent for a thread.

[J Arcane]

What a weird, yet heartwarming, tangent for a thread.
It's certainly an improvement over some insecure dork chest-thumping.

[Zeal]

More like attributes it to getting off his fat ass and actually doing something.

[phantomhitman]

if he wants to lose weight wii is not the way to go. this guy is just too lazy to do other actual exercises, or either he doesnt want to stop playing video games.

[Draconis]

Note Phantomhitman, that the page I posted says 'Experiment'. Hence, a question, or a theory tested and proven to be true. Again, EXPERIMENT.


Besides, not all of us, myself included, HAVE TIME, to go to a Gym. Especially with drive times during rush hour traffic in the chicago area, not withstanding my hours driving to, and from work, and the work period inbetween.

Reality is a far different cry from the fantasy that most people like to throw out there as arguments. If you have a Wii already, but not alot of time due to Family, Work, and sleep schedule, then a workout time at the gym may not be attainable in a person's work schedule, but 30 minutes a day when you are already home, playing Wii Sports Boxing, is.

Not to mention the amount of money one would save on Gas alone....

Draconis

[phantomhitman]

Note Phantomhitman, that the page I posted says 'Experiment'. Hence, a question, or a theory tested and proven to be true. Again, EXPERIMENT.
NOTE:
Phantom doesnt care about anything experimental and Phantom never said anything against you, this guy is still a lazy ass no matter how you look at it. He needs to get out more in order to lose weight along with all of the others that think this "wii weight lose" is a good idea.

edit-If someone doesnt have time to go to the gym in order to drop a few pounds then playing the wii should be completely out of the question as well.

[bryan]

phantom, he is just trying an experiment. Did he say in any way that it should replace other methods of exercise?

Then again if you get the appropriate amount of cardio workout, I see it as a totally viable way to get your minimum 30 minutes physical activity a day.

[Draconis]

NOTE:
Phantom doesnt care about anything experimental and Phantom never said anything against you, this guy is still a lazy ass no matter how you look at it. He needs to get out more in order to lose weight along with all of the others that think this "wii weight lose" is a good idea.

edit-If someone doesnt have time to go to the gym in order to drop a few pounds then playing the wii should be completely out of the question as well.



So by that line of thinking, this guy shouldn't have even tried the experiment for the benefit of others so that the question could be answered in the first place?

Interesting thought process there. And judging by the length he went through conducting the experiment, I think I'd hardly call the guy a 'Lazy Ass' as you so eloquently put it. Anyone who goes through this much effort to make an experiment, catalogue and record it's results, is by the very definition of the matter, not lazy whatsoever, no matter the vein of thought.


Also, you sit there and quip the ordeal about going to the gym, and time allotted, etc. Basically anyone who cannot go to a Gym is lazy and whatnot. Again, fantasy and reality are two different things.

Some things to think on.

1: Membership Fees for the Gym, Monthly and Yearly. Many of which are not Cheap.

2: Location of the Gym, and time spent driving to it, and thusly loss of fuel which would otherwise still be there. More costs involved, and let's face it, Gas is not cheap nowadays.

3: Cost of Gym equipment. Many require certain things to be purchased on your own, etc. Gyms have rules, such as bring your own towels, your own equipment for certain things, and so on. More costs in the longrun.

3: Time spent at the Gym = time away from home, Family, Kids, etc.
We'll use myself as an example here. I get up at 4 am every morning to go to work. I get home around 5:30 or 6:00, depending on traffic. This means I have a whopping total of MAYBE 3 hours to spend with my girlfriend once I arrive at home, eating dinner and getting things ready for work the next day not withstanding. So let's say I go to a Gym. Let's see....the nearest Gym from me....counting time...is 30 minutes. So 1 hour drive time roughly to and from. Then you count my average workout with which I push myself...1 hour.

So that leaves me 1 hour to spend with my Girlfriend before I crash. I'm sorry, I'd rather do 30 minutes of a workout on the Wii or an hour of Wii Sports at home, and have the remainder of the time with her. At least that way I can talk to her while working out. Health is important yes, but people need to weigh other options in their life as well.


I could go on but I won't. This isn't a knock on you Phantom, just realize not everyone has the luxury of having a life outside of work and family as one might think it. Some might even say, 'well, why not jog?' Yes, in some areas that is feasible, but others, such as myself, noting the area where I live, and local traffic and no safe jogging areas....such is not an option.


Basically for me it boils down to a few factors.

1: More time with Girlfriend

2: Savings of money I would otherwise not have, which can go to bills.

3: Money I have already invested in a game console I love, becomes even more valuable to me as a workout tool.


To each their own.

Draconis

[phantomhitman]

I was going to read your post but I got tired and fell asleep half way through. Blame it on the wii for wearing me out last night, swinging my arms around FtW!

Experimental or not, if you are losing weight while playing the wii you got bigger weight problems than a wii can handle. I understand its a dam experiment and this is not the be all end all weight loss program. It is just a stupid idea, you know...in my opinion.

[Draconis]

I was going to read your post but I got tired and fell asleep half way through. Blame it on the wii for wearing me out last night, swinging my arms around FtW!

Experimental or not, if you are losing weight while playing the wii you got bigger weight problems than a wii can handle. I understand its a dam experiment and this is not the be all end all weight loss program. It is just a stupid idea, you know...in my opinion.



As I said, Reality is different from Fantasy. Just don't try and hide your opinion. I can respect that you stand up for yourself and your thoughts. That's fine. Just don't hide it, in what seems to be a snide jab. *Shrugs*

And again, to each their own.


Draconis

[Xenkylm]

I was going to read your post but I got tired and fell asleep half way through.

I was gong to respect your opinion, but you convinced me not to half way through.

Experimental or not, if you are losing weight while playing the wii you got bigger weight problems than a wii can handle.

This guy was hardly obese, and he's very explicit about how he made sure that playing the Wii would burn more calories. He essentially turned it into a workout video. Anyway, if you don't understand that expending calories anywhere will help with weight loss, then you've likely got a bigger problem than WE can handle.

It is just a stupid idea, you know...in my opinion.

Hopefully everyone will listen to Mrs. Bits' opinion instead of yours, then. Doing the weight-watchers thing (only the online program, for me), and doing some relatively simple lifestyle and eating changes, I lost over 50lbs over about a year, and went from 220 to 165. You'd be amazed at how much less you consume when you force yourself to just keep track of all of it.

[phantomhitman]

Hopefully everyone will listen to Mrs. Bits' opinion instead of yours, then. Doing the weight-watchers thing (only the online program, for me), and doing some relatively simple lifestyle and eating changes, I lost over 50lbs over about a year, and went from 220 to 165. You'd be amazed at how much less you consume when you force yourself to just keep track of all of it.
Really...you think someone would take a nurse/doctor/hostipal pros' opinion over a sarcastic smartass's on the interweb?! Holy shit its amazing that you can read through me like im invisible!! I said nothing that should be respected in this entire thread, I just stated my opinion on anything related to wii weight loss. You went about it the right way, not some half assed experiment that involves playing video games. Congrats on your weight loss!

[Serapth]

We combined traditional American and Scottish ceremonies, which was a first for our church. The Reverend Robert Dunham did a fantastic job and kept my tears of joy from overshadowing the ceremony.

Not to boast too much, but people still talk about our wedding - even those who didn't attend.


I gotta take a bit of a shot at you here fits... If your profile DoB is correct and you got married in '01, you were in your low-mid 30's at the time that pic was taken. Damn man, you look young! :D

[fitbabits]

I gotta take a bit of a shot at you here fits... If your profile DoB is correct and you got married in '01, you were in your low-mid 30's at the time that pic was taken. Damn man, you look young! :D
I was 32 (going on 33) when I got married (and when that picture was taken). Something to do with the Scottish water, methinks. I still get asked for ID everywhere I go...

[randir14]

Note Phantomhitman, that the page I posted says 'Experiment'. Hence, a question, or a theory tested and proven to be true. Again, EXPERIMENT.


Besides, not all of us, myself included, HAVE TIME, to go to a Gym. Especially with drive times during rush hour traffic in the chicago area, not withstanding my hours driving to, and from work, and the work period inbetween.

Reality is a far different cry from the fantasy that most people like to throw out there as arguments. If you have a Wii already, but not alot of time due to Family, Work, and sleep schedule, then a workout time at the gym may not be attainable in a person's work schedule, but 30 minutes a day when you are already home, playing Wii Sports Boxing, is.

Not to mention the amount of money one would save on Gas alone....

Draconis

Everyone has time to go to the gym or work out if they want. I've been doing a program for the last few months called Max-OT and one of the main principles is to only work out for 30-40 minutes, while on this program i've made more gains than I have for a long time. If you can't get to the gym you could at least buy equipment to use at home, all you really need is a barbell, weights and a bench. Maybe a power rack if you're going to do squats.

[Draconis]

I hear you there Randir14, but I also happen to live in an apartment, an apartment which is crowded as is and has no room. Both me and my Girlfriends belongings take up ALOT of space in this place. We don't have room for a bench, and alot of places truly do overcharge for the weights etc.

If I could, I would, trust me. But for some it just isn't feasible.

Draconis

[randir14]

Another option is bodyweight exercises, you could check out a book called Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey, it has a lot of exercises you can do without any equipment and doesn't require any more space than a pushup would. You could probably find a torrent if you just want to try it out to see if you like it.
http://www.mattfurey.com/conditioning_book.html