Guest Review and Giveaway: Wii Fit

I have been really wanting to try the Wii Fit system for our Nintendo Wii! I've heard such great things about it. So far, I have been unable to get one! When Patric Welch, from Noobie told me about a contest, I asked if I could post excerpts from his awesome review of the Wii Fit. Here is Patric's first impression of the Wii Fit:

You know you’re overweight when your video game console tells you so

After several attempts to use technology to nab a high demand Wii Fit, I finally got one. Lucky for me, I just happened to be in front of my computer when I received a text message alert from Amazon.com telling me a select few will be in stock in the next couple of minutes. A few days later I had a Wii Fit sitting on my front porch.

If you are not familiar with the Wii Fit, it is basically a balance board and a disc that plays on the Nintendo Wii game console. I hesitate to call the Wii Fit a game because it's really not. Instead it's designed to help you stay healthy and in shape. It does this by tricking you into thinking you are playing fun little games when in fact you are actually exercising.

Prepare to be shocked

One of the biggest wake-up moments for everyone I've talked to that owns a Wii Fit is the moment when you have to step on the balance board and let it determine your weight and your body mass index (BMI). For most people, the wake-up call isn't in seeing their weight or BMI on the screen—most of us could probably guess where we are with both numbers. No, it's when the little guy that you choose to represent yourself, called a Mii, suddenly transforms himself into an image that more closely resembles what you look like based on your weight and BMI.

The pictures below are my actual results after weighing in: (Click Here to read more...)

And then after a few weeks:

Just over two weeks ago, I wrote about the horror of seeing what the Wii Fit deemed I look like based on my weight and BMI. I vowed to immediately start exercising and eating better.

I am happy to report that as of today, there is 3.1% less of me to go around. That's the percentage of my body weight I have lost since purchasing the Wii Fit.

Of course I can't give all of the credit to the Wii Fit. As much as I really enjoy the wide variety of yoga, strength, aerobic and balance activities on the Wii Fit, it hasn't hurt any that I started watching what I eat and started running three times per week.

Some of you reading this might even think that the Wii Fit had absolutely nothing to do with my weight loss. But you would be wrong. There are days that I worked out 30-40 minutes using the Wii Fit and definitely felt it the next day. If you don't believe me, try doing the push ups and side plank strength exercise a few times.
Motivating and rewarding

But the Wii Fit is much more than just a collection of helpful and fun activities. It actually does a great job of motivating and rewarding you. Just last night my wife used the Wii Fit and it told her that she should congratulate me because my posture has really improved.

The Wii Fit also does a great job of rewarding you with new activities each time you meet a milestone, either by successfully completing an existing activity or by earning enough fit points (minutes) in your Fit Bank. I won't deny the competition in my household right now to see who has the most activities and durations unlocked on the Wii Fit. Or who has the highest score on each activity (currently my 5 year old son reigns the household on the warrior yoga pose).

And if nothing else, the Wii Fit uses peer pressure to get you to weigh in and work out. If you haven't worked out in a while (or at least run a body test) the Mii representation of yourself on the screen starts to drift off to sleep while other family members around you are cheerfully running in place and doing yoga poses. (Click here to read more...)

Noobie is giving away a brand-new Nintendo Wii, valued at $250, this holiday season as part of Noobie's "I want a Wii" contest. All you need to do is fill out the form on the site for your chance to win. Noobie will take care of the rest! (Click Here)

While you're there, check out Noobie's resources to help you effectively choose and use technology.