Doctor Fishypants

Because I was busy this afternoon, I had to switch up my exercises today and run before using Wii Fit. Very bad idea. My legs were so tired after running that I could barely stand on the balance board, let alone balance on one leg for most of the strength training exercises. I’ve switched to week two of the ‘Couch to 5K’ running program. It consists of a 5-minute warm-up followed by 6 sets of 90 seconds of running and 2 minutes of brisk walking. It ends with another 5-minute cool-down phase for a total of about 30 minutes.

I wasn’t expecting to lose as much weight today as I did (2.4lbs), especially because I had some ice cream pretty late last night. I had to skip lunch, though, and I didn’t really snack at all. I’m honestly surprised at how well I’ve been sticking to the exercising, considering how completely lazy I am. Go figure.

Wii Fit Statistics (Day 5)

Current Goal: Lose 3lbs in 2 weeks
Weight: 190.5lbs (-2.4lbs, -3.3lbs total)
BMI: 28.87

Nike+ Statistics (Run 27)

Current Goal: Run 14 times in 4 weeks
Distance: 2.27mi
Time: 29:34
Pace: 12:56min/mi
Calories: 328

Total Distance: 53.2mi
Average Pace: 12:39min/mi

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Today was a light day. I decided not to run so I could rest my leg a bit. I was a little discouraged doing the Yoga poses, because I was having more trouble than usual maintaining my balance. I unlocked the boxing aerobics exercise, which threw me off a bit at first, but I think I’ll grow to like it quite a bit. It’s still disappointing that I gained over a pound since yesterday. I really need to run again tomorrow. I also got caught up playing Death Jr.: Root of Evil because my review is due soon, so I didn’t have time to use Wii Fit until late this evening. Ideally I’d like to weigh myself every day around 5:00PM.

Wii Fit Statistics (Day 4)

Current Goal: Lose 3lbs in 2 weeks
Weight: 192.9lbs (+1.3lbs, -0.9lbs total)
BMI: 29.24

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

There’s not really much to say about my third day with Wii Fit. I chugged along doing the activities, unlocking a few new ones, and focusing on Yoga and Strength Training. I’ve learned which activities to stay away from because they’re either too boring, not taxing enough, or entirely too taxing. My weight went up 0.7lbs from yesterday, which sounds about right because I reverted back to my full glass of milk before bed routine. It helps me sleep. To compensate, I’ve decided to cut back on Starbucks Frappucinos. I’m addicted to those things and drink at least one a day on my way to work. I figure alternating coffee and tea every other day would probably be healthier.

I think I overextended myself running tonight. It’s a shame now that my endurance is finally improving and my chest and breathing can last for longer runs, it seems that my leg can’t. My lower left leg is throbbing in pain. I suppose it’s my fault, though. You’re only supposed to run every other day (at least according to the ‘Couch to 5K’ plan that I’m doing). I’ve been running every day for a while, and I think I’m going to have to cut back. I’ll switch off between running and using the elliptical machine and see how that pans out.

Wii Fit Statistics (Day 3)

Current Goal: Lose 3lbs in 2 weeks
Weight: 191.6lbs (+0.7lbs, -2.2lbs total)
BMI: 29.04

Nike+ Statistics (Run 26)

Current Goal: Run 14 times in 4 weeks
Distance: 2.27mi
Time: 30:08
Pace: 13:10min/mi
Calories: 328

Total Distance: 50.91mi
Average Pace: 12:39min/mi

Notes

If you like reading these Wii Fit updates, you might want to check out Chris Baker’s Wii Fit Into Health blog. He’s tracking his progress in a similar manner, and he also has links to other folks who are making the effort.

Monday, June 9, 2008

My second day with Wii Fit was confusing. I focused on exercises that I enjoyed doing yesterday and ones that I could actually feel working. Repeating those exercises unlocks the ability to increase the number of reps, which makes for a nice incentive. I also unlocked a few new yoga poses and strength training exercises, but I was a bit disappointed in their quality. I’m sure the exercises themselves are fine, but Wii Fit does not do a very good job of explaining what you should be doing. For example, when doing single leg lifts, the trainer tells you to move slowly and concentrate on your abdominal muscles, yet her character animates much faster than her directions tell you to move. When doing squats, the trainer tells you to make sure not to extend your knees beyond your toes, yet she does just that. I’m also fairly certain that keeping your knees in line with your toes during a squat is physically impossible. Which brings me to my next issue: I simply don’t have the balance to do some of these yoga poses. I’ve repeatedly lost my balance and fallen off the board, but Wii Fit doesn’t take that into account and continues with the exercise before you have a chance to regain your footing. I suppose I’ll get better with practice, but I think a more thorough explanation would be nice.

It also seems like I’ve already lost 2.9lbs, although I imagine that’s not really the case. While I did pay more attention to what I ate today, Wii Fit claims that on any given day, your weight will fluctuate by as much as 2lbs. The time of day that you weight yourself also matters. Yesterday, I weighed myself right after a big lunch. Today, I did the Wii Fit exercises at 6:00PM, before eating dinner and going for my run. I’ll have to work on weighing myself and using Wii Fit at the same time every day.

Wii Fit Statistics (Day 2)

Current Goal: Lose 3lbs in 2 weeks
Weight: 190.9lbs (-2.9lbs)
BMI: 28.94
Wii Fit Age: 26

Nike+ Statistics (Run 25)

Current Goal: Run 14 times in 4 weeks
Distance: 2.15mi
Time: 27:19
Pace: 12:42min/mi
Calories: 308

Total Distance: 48.62mi
Average Pace: 12:37min/mi

Notes

I’m following the ‘Couch to 5K’ running plan available from Robert Ullrey at Podcasts for Running. It’s a series of weekly podcasts designed for beginners that gets progressively more difficult without burning you out. Each podcast is set to music, and Robert chimes in occasionally to tell you when to speed up and slow down. Week 1 consists of a 5-minute warm-up and cool-down in addition to 8 one-minute runs with 90-second recoveries in between.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

After anticipating the release of Wii Fit perhaps a bit too much, my first day with the game was a bit anticlimactic. After inputting my data (age and height) and succumbing to a brief balance test, the anthropomorphic Wii Fit Board slammed me with a weight of 193.8lbs and a corresponding BMI of 29.37 (anything over 30 is considered obese). My Wii Fit age, which is apparently calculated using these numbers and taking my actual age into account, is 33. Like Brain Age for the DS, this number seems somewhat arbitrary. It will no doubt approach my actual age (25) with increased practice.

There are four categories of exercises to do in Wii Fit: Yoga, Strength Training, Aerobics, and Balance Games. The game keeps track of the time you spend in each mode, unlocking more activities as you go. In my first 30 minutes of playing, I unlocked 5 or 6 new minigames. My first stop was Yoga, and the first stance was heavy breathing. It’s a nice way to ease you into the exercises, but I felt a bit silly standing in front of my TV trying to control my inhalation. Of the 5 stances I tried, I felt 3 were worthy of a second shot tomorrow. I think the Yoga exercises would give the best results as a morning stretch routine. The strength training exercises were more strenuous. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much trouble doing a push-up before. Because the balance board is so narrow, you’re forced to keep your arms very close together, making the push-up more difficult (especially for someone like myself, who has absolutely no upper body strength). The aerobics exercises seemed sufficient to get your heart rate up, but running in place with the Wii Remote in your pocket is no substitute for actual running. The balance games in Wii Fit are the closest the game comes to traditional video games. Essentially, every game requires you to shift your weight in order to ski down a slope, hoola-hoop, hit soccer balls, etc. They’re not particularly fun, nor do they seem to have the potential for exercise that the other three categories do. I imagine they’ll be relegated to the occasional diversion when I grow tired of the traditional exercises for a few minutes.

Wii Fit Statistics (Day 1)

Current Goal: Lose 3lbs in 2 weeks
Weight: 193.8lbs
BMI: 29.37
Wii Fit Age: 33

Nike+ Statistics (Run 24)

Current Goal: Run 14 times in 4 weeks
Distance: 2.27mi
Time: 29:15
Pace: 12:48min/mi
Calories: 334

Total Distance: 46.47mi
Average Pace: 12:37min/mi

Notes

Tomorrow, Wii Fit will begin tracking changes in my weight, BMI, etc. I’ll post those as well.

My current weight loss goal of 3lbs in 2 weeks is Wii Fit’s suggestion for beginners.

I’ve been running for a while now, but I noticed that today’s run was a bit easier after doing the Wii Fit exercises.