Why I’m Getting Fit — WiiFit that is.

Does anyone remember the Necklace/Photo Motivation Pact of 2008?

Contrary to popular belief, I do.

Way back in March, after having a long discussion with friends about fandom fame, photos, and being fit, we decided to use objects in our lives (like dresses, photos, or necklaces) to motivate us towards better health and fitness, in order to look our best for all the fandom events this Summer.

Well, three months and nearly 8 pounds later (gained, not lost), I can tell you that it didn’t last long. Due to the constant yoyoing and fluctuating in amount exercised, or the preoccupations of work and travel, we lost sight of our goal. I can tell you now that I stopped wearing the necklace not long after the pact started, firstly because it doesn’t go with any of my work clothes and secondly because it is not appropriate jewelry for the office (read: tacky!). The long and short of this is that we saw a goal, realized what we needed to achieve it, and abandoned it for some reason or another. My shortcomings are probably the most clear.

Diet and exercise have always been an issue for me. Ever since I was young and could eat anything, I always depended on my metabolism to break down any high-fat and high-sugar foods I consumed. The good news is that at some point I started getting taller and my skinny frame filled out. The bad news is that since my eating habits and fitness regime hasn’t really changed (for the most part) over the course of the last ten years, I’ve begun to feel uncomfortable with my weight and body image. I like the way I look (most of the time) but I don’t like how I feel.

The list of reasons for me to be more interested in my health is literally a mile long and I’m not going to bore you with it. What I can tell you, however, is that one of my main reasons to feel better about my body is the coming Summer, which brings us full circle. Being in the public eye has its demands and those demands can only serve as a constant reminder of the scrutiny from others. What I need is someone (or something, hint!) that will hold me accountable for bad choices in health and fitness, while still making the prospect getting healthy encouraging and fun.

Enter WiiFit, Nintendo’s newest game for the Wii console, complete with the Wii Balance Board Accessory. The WiiFit experience is unlike any other and I’m glad to be nearing the end of the first week of my goal. With Yoga, aerobics, strength training, and fun games to promote good balance & posture, the WiiFit has literally become my personal trainer and trusted friend, allowing me to become more aware of my body as it changes day-to-day.

This is by no means a WiiFit review; not at all. You don’t need a non-gamer to tell you that it’s a lot of fun to virtually ski-jump or practice heading soccer balls. No, I’m more interested in how I can use the “WiiFit challenge” (as WiiFit bloggers like IGN’s WiiGetFit are dubbing it) to supplement my Motivation Pact, which already includes a regimen for diet.

The original pact stuck to relying on objects and friends to promote the “power of positive thinking” in bringing good health and wellness to you while rethinking eating and exercise habits. Well, I’m here to tell you that wearing a reminder necklace or staring at a photo of a popstar’s abs isn’t the only motivation you need. Just like when you were young (especially if you’re a millenial like me), you need positive reinforcement. A cross-country friend isn’t always going to say “Good Job” after you finish your run or eat your yogurt and I can assure you the photo and necklace certainly won’t.

With this in mind, I purchased WiiFit in order to get more focused on my fitness goals and learn more about my body. I am not (read: NOT) replacing healthy diet and exercise outside of the game with 45 min of hula-hoop like some WiiFitters out there. In order to track my progress, I will be posting weekly blogs about how I’m doing (in this blog, of course) and posting daily tweets (on my Twitter; if you don’t have one, get one!) reporting on my daily body tests. Unlike the wonderful folks over at Whompy’s Weight Loss Challenge (WWLC; love you all, esp. Mel, Matt, and Lizzie), I have chosen to opt out of video blogs because it’s very time consuming for me to record and edit when I have a 50-90 minute commute every day.

I’m already on day four of my goal, which is to lose five pounds in the month of June (specifically June 29, with possibly an extra pound or two before I leave for Portus on July 8) and although (since I’m at work) I can’t post my current progress here, expect my first progress tweet later this evening. I won’t be working out today as I have an event, but even though I may not workout daily, I can assure you I will not miss a daily body test (they’re actually fun!).

This being my first blog posting, I’ll have to post my original stats for you, by memory, with edits to come later when I’m at my console.

My Real Life Stats:

25 year old female, 5’10″, skinny frame with some excess distributed in midsection, poor vision, average balance, poor eating habits (an addiciton to snacks and sweets) and total lack of exercise regimen

My WiiFit Stats on Day 1 [May 30]: (EDIT: Stats Updated 9:00am on 6/3)

136.7 lbs, BMI 19.57, WiiFit Age 23

To close, I’ve outlined some guidelines for my workout (which will be more or less daily) and diet (which cuts out my problem foods):
- WiiFit Workout
- Daily Test (with Progress Tweet!)
- Cardio
* 30 to 45 min treadmill/elliptical/jogging outdoors
(or)
* 30 to 45 min aerobic activity on WiiFit, while monitoring heart rate
- Fitness/Strength Training
* do every Yoga pose once; repeat until at least 20 min/more
* do as many of the strength training exercises (esp. those pertaining to abdominal area) as you can, without straining yourself, until 20min/more
- Cool-Down
* an extra five minutes of Yoga or balance games to slow heart rate/cool off

- WiiFit Diet
* eat small meals/eat every two hours; don’t eat late/after 8pm if possible
* in-betweener meals can be simple: fruit, nuts, granola, yogurt, etc.
* avoid trouble foods: creams, heavy sauces, enriched/bleached starches and complex carbs, unhealthy sweets, etc.
* drink mineral/water(still or sparkling), lightly sweetened tea (hot or iced), and 100% juices only; no exceptions
* don’t skip meals
* replace high-sodium intake with a high-protein intake
* don’t eat from boredom (a bigger problem than you think); make something of every moment of every day

Comments and thoughts are always appreciated, but it you’re here to hate on WiiFitters, I’ll ask you to please keep comments to yourself. Cheers!

(apologies for post-title’s lameness; will do better next time?)