Still using the Wii Fit?

I was just asked this and the truth...I have not been using it every day like I wanted to. Part of it is I have to fight for the TV with the rest of the family. Think about it. You come home from work, change into your workout clothes and go down stairs where your wife or daughter are watching TV. You change the channel and turn on the Wii fit is going to get a few arguement. Add family responsibility then it makes it even tougher. I have made my way to the gym.

However I have had parties each weekend which has not helped. My 40th birthday for starters and a party after a baptism. I'm still less then 10 pounds from my goal, but the final 10 is a bitch. however I feel like the kid who asked for something and got a fully functional knock off. In other words, I am not at my goal weight, but I do look good enough that people notice. I'll have to take that victory and press on for the rest.

I did modify an exercise I picked up. I did a side plank exercise I picked up here:

http://www.active.com/video/play.htm?assetid=49f21757-019d-4e66-888b-cc90676fa383

The first one should look familiar for those who own Wii Fit, but the side ones you use your elbow. I did that the first day I learned it and it does work your sides. Best one yet. However if you try to mimic the basic plank, I recomend some padding because my eblow hurt like hell afterwards.

was benched for a couple of weeks

When I started this blog its purpose was to log the progress if any to see if the Wii fit works or not. Unfortunately I had a severe Acid reflux episode that landed me in the hospital overnight. The good news was I lost 4 pounds that week. The bad news it my report of whether Wii fit works or not is skewed. I still have 7 more pounds to lose and I have since last Friday got back on the saddle. Considering my birthday is in a week and a half, I think realistically I may not reach my goal in time. However I am okay with that. People have noticed I have slimmed and several medical professionals mentioned my heart rate and blood pressure is great.
I would still recommend it. Once I reach my weight goal, I am going to set a new goal to keep me balanced.

Still losing weight...

... but it's pretty slow with me now at 177 lbs. I'm now at the final 10 pounds, but I have to say I am happier with the way I look.

You look different

That is what I was told yesteday at the ice rink by a lady I haven't seen for a month or two. It was just nice that someone noticed the hard work I put in.
Funny thing happened yesterday when I logged into Wii fit. It tried to play an april fools joke on me. Telling me my board crapped out.

Better weigh in then last friday

Last Friday I went up a couple of pounds. Now I shot down to 178. Basically things are looking up as I have 5 weeks to try to catch that goal. I do know it will be a struggle as the final 10 pounds is always a struggle, but overall without looking at the scale, I am pretty happy with the way I have been looking.

Been getting more definition in my legs which I realized from a picture taken of me in November I seemed to have lost (always have had strong legs but since the achillies injury, I have not worked them out as much as I would have liked to).

Player down!

Since my weigh in I have not had much wii fit time.

Saturday: I did walk all day in a parade my daughter was in (I was in charge of guarding the mascot). I'm sure I burned a significant amount of calories there.
Sunday: I know I burned more calories refereeing a double header. 2000 plus.
Monday is where it all went south. I was not feeling well at all and today even though I am sucking it up and working at home, I am not feeling great.

Top things off, my Palm Zire died on Monday and therefore my calorieking database where I log in my calorie intake died with it. For now I am using the sparkpeople database online, but I can't have that everywhere I go like my palm. I put a bid for one on e-bay because I don't want to succomb to an itouch unless I really have to.

Slow and steady

This week after weighing in I lost another pound. I can't complain. Especially since my true hard work this week was the soccer on Sunday. I did put an hour in some and 30 minutes in others. Fact is I wanted to give muscle some time to develop as I disagree with Wii's "Train on your abs every day." From my experience, if you don't give your muscles a rest, then they would never have time to develop. According to Wii I have 10 pounds to go, but truthfully I have 12.

The final 10 is always the toughest. It's not just my personal experience, but I hear it from others. Since the weather is getting warmer, I may change up my exercise a bit.
I still have 7 weeks to make my goal. It's doable as long as I don't gain in that time.

Life is good

I was able to fit in one of my favorite dressy pants this morning. I was really stoked about that since I noticed the pants I wore yesterday were really loose.

Despite me being sore, I managed to go a little over an hour on the Wii fit. Remember on the last entry where I said, it was going to rag me for missing 2 days. This thing is such a computer I did my last workout at 3pm PST on Friday. I log in at 5pm last night so doing the math, it told me I missed 3 days.

I know what people who know me may say: "Well you're a referee so you run" or "You have a gym membership" or "You walk at lunch time every day."

Well true, I referee and I can easily burn 1000 plus calories doing this. However I don't referee every day. The Gym membership card doesn't make me lose weight any more then owning a Wii Balance board. You have to use it and frankly I only have time for a 30 minute cardio outside my home these days. Therefore I use it just for that since I am not keen on running in place. I have used the Gym for other then cardio maybe 3 times since I got my board. I do walk at lunch when the weather is nice, but I have been doing that for a long time and frankly it isn't doing anything for me. As a wise friend wrote in her blog, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Oh I am in for it now

I haven't been on Wii fit for two days now. Saturday, I just had so much stuff going on with doing Taxes and then it was just my daughter and I and we haven't really had father/daughter quality time so as much as I wanted to turn off the Wii games and get on Wii fit, I felt the need for my emotional bank to be filled.

Sunday I reffed a CPSA center and for the first game of the season. The players put me to work with the constant going back and forth. I was happy to have a grade 5 watching my back, but his son I thought could have stepped up a bit. He's got potential though. Anyway I burned enough calories to enjoy my girl scout cookies guilt free. One thing I forgot to do is record my workout so the Wii Fit is really going to think I am slacking.

Lost a pound

The good news I lost a pound. The bad news is I didn't get to the 170 category. It's all good as the Wii told me I am working towards my goal.

Yesterday I did the challenge on jackknives and made 100.

Not tired of Wii fit yet.

Usually with any fad exercise, I get burned out. So far I'm still looking forward to making time to workout. Mind you have have a Gym membership and I use the membership for cardio. I can say I am motivated by people who have posted how much weight they have lost. Without stepping on a scale, I do feel like I lost weight this week. My stomach is starting to show some definition.

Day 35

The Wii fit told me it was day 35. Since then I have lost 5 pounds and hoping when I check in this friday that my weight will be in the deep end of the 170's. Today I burned 800 calories between 1 hour on the Wii fit and 35 minutes on the etiliptical machine.

Made Silver

I made the total of 20 hours spent on Wii fit so I changed from copper to silver. Things are good. I look good and feel good. My nutrition has been changed but it is Girl Scout cookie time and that means Thin Mints with my coffee. However I have yet to open a box.

I haven't missed a day since I got "ragged" by the android. Most of my cardio however is done outside the Wii fit. I did make expert in Boxing which gives me a ten minute workout. Beats running in place or hula hoops. But I think if I'm going to give a fair assessment, I feel I need to put all the factors on my success.

I have been on a 5 pound challenge which I made last weigh in. Honestly I thought I was going to be a pound or two short but I guess the really watching what I eat and the intensity of my workouts paid off. I have my first high level soccer match in a long time and I think I will be able to keep up with them at this rate.

Good things do come to those who wait.

I weighed myself today and lost 3 pounds. That felt pretty good.
I have been working out with more intensity this week. Logged an hour instead of 30 minutes 50% of the time and pushed for a 500 calorie workout on the elliptical machine.
I missed one logging day (I did work out in the gym but forgot to log in).
The system doesn't let me go back a day to update. So naturally the Wii board on screen picked on me for the one day out of almost 4 weeks.
And my Wii fit age is now 32. Yippee.

Missed one

Good news. I did more then 30 minutes of exercise. Bad news was I didn't do an oounce of Wii Fit, nor did I go in to log activity. So much for my 4 week non stop streak. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm just curious what the Wii is gonna tell me when I log in today?

I'm feeling fit. I feel good. I don't give a crap about what the scale is going to say. I look better. I was wearing shorts that on my worse day makes me look fat. Not today.

Been browsing other blogs

I have been looking for things to blog about. The activity can be repetitious. I did some change over 60 minutes of Wii fit exercise and 35 minutes of cardio. The rest will be just ramblings past and present.

1. I'm in my 4th week and while the scale says I have done jack, I feel it in my waist.

2. I have gained muscles in places I didn't think possible (get your minds out of the gutter). My biceps and triceps show even when I am not flexing. My legs even show more definition then I have seen in a long time.

3. I don't like the fact it tells me I am overweight and makes my Mii look even more fatter then I truly am.

4. I don't like the fact it tells me to do the body test which starts with weighing in every time I get on the Wii board. Any health professional with half a brain would tell you it's not good to weigh yourself. Some even tell you to throw the scales away. There should be an option of how often to do this.

5. When I get on the Wii board I don't really have to worry about the previous sweaty body that was on it before. Unlike the epliptical machine where someone really worked a sweat and left it behind. ewwwwww

6. I'm curious about the new fitness games that are coming out for the wii which are designed for the board. This is good for those who were getting bored. Me, if I can eat the same type of sandwich at subway day in and day out, I can stick to the Wii fit program.

7. I do like the fact the Wii fit increases the challenge when you start to get good at an excercise. I wish it would keep doing that. I think I am at my max at jackknives and twists. My pushups have room for improvement still.

8. I think it's a joke the android trainer has to feign that he didn't get any sleep. You're a bloody android. Deal with it!

9. My wife and I are still enjoying the rivalary of the Wii fit. She excels in Yoga while I excel in strength training, but there are few things in each we're better then each other at.

10. I think this week will be good when I check in this friday.

Gains and losses

Both good. I lost the pound I gained last week. However I know I have gained more muscle because my arms are more bulky and I don't even have to flex much. My abs have also been doing a dance of their own, they hurt sometimes. I feel the waist getting smaller, slowly but surely.

Went to a referee clinic where it was noted by a couple people who haven't seen me in a while that I have been working out. It was a good complement, especially from one who is in his 50's but has a body of a guy in his 20's.

I modified my jackknife ab work a bit, instead of going straight up (I still do that though) I go up and both arms pass one side of the legs, then the other to work on my obliques. Between the wii fit and my cardio at the gym, I have burned 800 calories a day, but yet I have been pretty good about not making up for the energy I lost. I do eat, I just don't over do it.

I really wanted a beer yesterday but after dinner I was so full, I didn't want to push it. Maybe later.

Haven't missed a check in for 3 weeks straight

It's hard to believe I have been wii fitting for 3 weeks now but that's what the contraption told me when I logged in yesterday. I am proud that I have kept the stick-to-it. Could also be that I pledged to everyone and anyone who reads my blog that I would give it 3 weeks.

Noticed my waist getting slimmer. My lower abs have been sore. I haven't felt this pain since 4 years ago when I did major ab work and mistook the pain for appendicitis. When the doc told me it was just my abs developing and I would have went through the roof when he pressed down on me, I was releaved.

I'm looking forward to my weigh in tomorrow.

They say...

...you should do 30 minutes of physical activity. Yesterday I did 60 minutes of wii fit since I was trapped at home. I'm still having fun with it even though it's "Not a game". I have unlocked all the exercises and I have put myself in advanced in a few of them. The jack knife excercise which is good for the abs I am up to 30. I even do a modified set in addition to the regular set and instead of going straight like the video shows, I swing both arms to one side and then the other. Good for the obliques.

Another thing I have noticed is since I have done yoga with Wii fit, I have not had any back trouble. That is usually an issue that would slow or even stop me from excercising.

Gone in 60 minutes

Did 25 minutes on the epilipitcal machine and 60 minutes of Wii fit. Felt really good after the workout.

Sometimes you have to motivate yourself

This weekend I really didn't want to do Wii. I had a wedding Saturday night and though I was good with the dinner, I did have more then my fair share of alcohol. So mid morning with still a touch of hangover, I forced 50 minute and I was glad I did because I sure felt better after.

Gained a pound

But...it would very well be that I have gained more muscle consistently working out. My clothes feel looser and my wife even notices the "weight loss" which probably means I gained more weight in muscle then I lost in fat.

Still even when I know this I'm not happy with the weigh in result. There is next week.

Did my early morning workout today.

Woke up at 3:30am and couldn't sleep so I decided to take advantage of it and do my workout early in the morning to start my day. My wife said this morning she noticed some weight loss on my mid section. Who better to notice then someone who has seen you every day.

Paula (my wife) and I are enjoying the little friendly rivalry with the scores on Wii fit. Especially yoga because I feel she is way better then me on it, but yet there is a time I can pass her up.

Tomorrow I weigh in. Last time my wii Fit age was 38. Since I turn 40 in 3 months I take what I can get.

Now if I can only get out to do 30 minutes of cardio, I will be set. I did the step aerobics in the event I didn't have time to get out.

I like em looose

I noticed last night that my watch was much looser then before. What kills me is I just had it sized less then 2 months ago. Also noticed my jeans being loose around my waist. Weigh in is Friday. Even if I gained a pound it has to be muscle. I have done a bit of strength training this last week.

ETA: 31 minutes Wii fit
30 minutes of cardio

Some differences

I have not done my 30 minutes today, but wanted to note something. Yesterday I hit the treadmill which I have been hesitant because of my Achilles injury I don't like to run on roads and treadmills.

Since I have been doing some of the yoga poses prescribed by Wii Fit, I have had better posture and I felt it made a great difference when running on the treadmill.

Funny note: My daughter did the free run in place and tripped and fell down. Go figure.

Update 8:30PM

Did my cardio at the gym and did another 30 minutes of Wii fit. Really just meant to do Yoga, but I think I'm addicted. I can't stop until I hit 30.

A side effect of using the Wii fit as a sole part of exercise

When you have other household people and they are watching TV, I can't just say, "Umm I'm going to work out so you will have to put your show on hold." We have DVR.

Not that I didn't workout. I ran for 20 minutes on the treadmill and came home to do push ups. That is 29 minutes of excercise (Push ups 3 reps per 3 positions). Still I wanted to get my Yoga in so I can stretch my trouble areas that come from running.

Still I feel good. I had a breakfast of the Double fiber toast, 2 slices, and a half a cup of dried edemamies. Definitely getting my fiber in.

Last night I went to a party for a friend's birthday. I did good, but thank god I am a beer snob. All they had there was corona and bud. I had one corona and didn't really eat much after I told myself I was going to let my food settle before going for seconds. I had my first bud in a long time. Greatest all american lager my ----. I drew the line against tequilla shots.

ETA: I managed to get 30 minutes of Wii fit in even as I planned to just do the yoga's to stretch out.

Checked in Wii fit, but barely used...

...because I spent my morning at the Gym working out. Rememeber the Wii Fit for me was supposed to be a gap filler for times I could not break away from the house. Today was one of those days I could so I did. I worked out on Abs and legs.

Another thing I want to share is I have been making sure I have been consuming a minimum of 25grams of fiber a day. I've been using this liquid supplement to help with the fiber intake and it has other benifits like green tea:

http://www.bodychoicenutrition.net/products.htm

It doesn't claim to be an exercise in a bottle any more then buying Wii Fit is going to the solution to getting fit while having fun. When you buy these products you are, whether you know it or not, making an agreement with them to do your part. You still need to watch what you eat and exercise.

What it has done for me:
Increased my fiber intake when taking it twice a day as prescribed. Between that and the fiber bread (two slices), I pretty much have 95% of my daily intake down. Throw down some edamamies and I'm covered.
It also has antioxidents which is good for you.
It has also made me alert in a short time which would be equililent of drinking a cup of coffee.

As they say , "You get what you put into it."

First week checkin with the Wii Fit

Did the body test this morning. It said I lost 3 pounds, so I am off to a great start with this.
Today I did 30 minutes of mostly yoga and strength training. I have unlocked all the Yoga and strength training excercises. I did a couple minutes of the soccer challenge.

On top of this I did etlipitcal machine at the gym for 25 minutes and did more push ups. Looked for a trampoline today and at Big 5 they were going for 50 bucks. I feel I can do a better priced one then that, but I have never priced them before, so after pricing, I'll get the best deal I can get.

Finding things about the Wii fit I like and don't like

I'm getting close to friday where I would have to weigh myself. The Wii recommends you do the Body test every day, but I may find that discouraging abit because you are weighing yourself everyday and most exercise enthusiasts will tell you not to do that. So once a week is good for me.

I found a message board on Sparkpeople called Wii Fitters Unite. It's pretty much a weightloss board, but I have found quit a bit of information on it. That is a good thing because I have been reading reviews since I bought the thing and there is nothing like buyer's remorse then reading how "It doesn't work." If you do read between the lines, most people see the Wii fit as a fad exercise. Well it is a catching exercise tool and most people I talk to in person either have the Wii fit and like it or they are still searching for it.

There are others on Sparkpeople who have used it for 3 months and claimed to have lost inches on their waistline and 19 to 30 pounds. For a guy like me who needs to lose 18, that is a great motivator since I am giving this a 3 month challenge.

Hmmm Just had a thought. Since I pretty much officially started in 2-1-2009 it occured to me, if this works, I will look great in time for my 40th birthday on May 2nd. Now what better 40th birthday presant can I give to myself then having a great body?

I know one of the biggest concerns is I tend to get bored and lose interest in the exercise I am doing so hopfully being accountable to other people will help me stay on the program.

Why the Scale lies

This primary for me to read when I gain weight but feel I am doing all the right things. For those who are thinking of implementing Wii fit this will help because I will tell you right off the bat, Wii fit is brutally honest!

Why The Scale Lies

by Renee Cloe,
ACE Certified Personal Trainer

We’ve been told over an over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet many of us can’t resist peeking at that number every morning. If you just can’t bring yourself to toss the scale in the trash, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the factors that influence it’s readings. From water retention to glycogen storage and changes in lean body mass, daily weight fluctuations are normal. They are not indicators of your success or failure. Once you understand how these mechanisms work, you can free yourself from the daily battle with the bathroom scale.

Water makes up about 60% of total body mass. Normal fluctuations in the body’s water content can send scale-watchers into a tailspin if they don’t understand what’s happening. Two factors influencing water retention are water consumption and salt intake. Strange as it sounds, the less water you drink, the more of it your body retains. If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang onto it’s water supplies with a vengeance, possibly causing the number on the scale to inch upward. The solution is to drink plenty of water.

Excess salt (sodium) can also play a big role in water retention. A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium. Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it’s easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers. However, a food doesn’t have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content. That’s why, when it comes to eating, it’s wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains. Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners.

Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking plenty of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum.

Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and it’s packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it’s stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with it’s associated water. It’s normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if you’re prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.

Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it’s wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you’ve had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It’s the actual weight of everything you’ve had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you’ve finished digesting it.

Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely, in fact it’s not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, it’s likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in. Generally, it’s only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it’s physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you’re really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle.

This brings us to the scale’s sneakiest attribute. It doesn’t just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what you’ve lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when you’re just sitting around. That’s one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.

Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn’t differentiate between the two. It can’t tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat. There are several other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current.

If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry. The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don’t be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride. It’s a matter of mind over scale.

Introduction

Welcome to my blog. I thought my blogging days were over but I figure I can keep track of progress here.

A little about my background: I'm an overall active guy but since college, I have always been struggling with a weight problem. I have always been involved in athletics in some shape or form but I have never trained outside the sport I am involved in and with a love for beer and chocolate, the pounds start to creep up.

I've been a soccer referee since I was 14 years of age. Other then a few year's hiatus in my early 20's (wanted a social life) you can almost always find me on the pitch. I have played the game, coached the game, but refereeing has been my strongest part of the soccer spectrum (in my opinion). Unfortunately as I moved up higher in the rank, I learned the hard way you need to be in the physical condition your rank demands or risk downgrade.

I hate to run, just to run. I rather be chasing something like the play in the game or racing someone for the ball. This poses a problem as I love to bike and I like to do the elliptical machine but neither help in refereeing.

I joined a Gym in my late 20's and was getting into great shape, but you get married, have kids, and then all of the sudden you can't come and go as you please like you used to. I do make my way to the gym but it is not as frequent or often like I want to.

I first heard of Wii Fit around Christmas time of 2008. I decided to get a Wii for the family as it can be a console for everyone in the house. Then I heard a customer mention Wii fit and then I talked to my wife who was interested in Wii fit. She pretty much has the same issue as I do. Has a gym membership, but can't come and go as she pleases even in worse then me at times. So in a sense we wanted to bring it in house.

Mind you the Wii was hard to get. When we decided to get Wii was a few days before Christmas. I learned the hard way dispite being out for over a year, the Wii was hard to get. I managed to find one 2 days after christmas. However, the Wii fit was even harder to get. It took a little over a month after I got the Wii to get the Wii Fit.

I have a lot of friends who are asking about it so rather then give them the instant gratification, I decided to log my activities here.

Disclaimer: Everyone is different. Mind you I still referee and consider that a big time calerie burner exercise. I also do go to the Gym, use my perfect push up, my ab roller. I use the Wii fit to supplement when I cannot go out to work out. However it does track my progess so therefore that will be consistant use of the Wii fit if nothing else. I gave myself 3 months to lose about 20 pounds.

When I chose how long to lose, I put one month. It basically told me I was being unreasonable. two months, though doable, didn't leave room for error or failure. 3 months gives me room for some failure, disappointment, or error.

So will be logging in my progress at least once a week. Right now it measured me at 186 lbs. I know I am at my best at 167 pounds. My weight measurement doesn't tell me everything. I know I can lose fat and gain muscle and the scale, if I look at it from face value, tells me I did nothing that week.

So even though I started last Thursday, we're making this week with check ins on Fridays.

What can I say so far: The exercises are good and I am really getting into the yoga as some help with some past injuries I have incurred in the last couple of years.

The strength training is good. Some are new exercies to me which I actually like. Some are familliar but you have a "trainer" who corrects you and keeps you in the right pace which has helped.

Areobics are to keep you moving and heart rate up, but I'm not counting on being able to do the annual fun run after running in place. There is step arobics which is good in the sense of timing and moving. The advanced one after you unlock it is good.

The Balance games are fun. I get a good workout when I do the soccer challenge where I head the ball. There is a ski challenge and a few others.

No matter what you do, the goal is to get 30 minutes in. One credit is one minute of exercise.
I'm also going to minimize my other issue which is stress eating. To help that I am making it a point to drink 7 to 8 oz of water and increase my fiber intake.