Wii & Weight Loss

Choosing a Game

• The Wii is not home to just one exercise game, but rather an entire collection of games designed to help you lose weight. Gamers who own the Wii Balance Board can pick up "Wii Fit" or one of the "Jillian Michael's Fitness Ultimatum" games. These incorporate the Wii Balance Board's body-sensing capabilities for workouts that include balancing and yoga.

  Gamers looking for more of a burn should pick up "EA Sports Active" or "The Biggest Loser." These games have a greater focus on burning calories and working up a sweat.

  Gamers who prefer to dance their way to a smaller dress size should investigate the "Dance Dancer Revolution" series on the Wii; these games feature full-body movements as you perform routines to a techo-soundtrack.

Sticking With It

• A yoga session once a week on "Wii Fit" will not cause you to shed those extra pounds. If you want to be successful at losing weight using the Wii, you'll need to develop an exercise schedule. Luckily, many of the games released feature in-game calendars that will track your progress and workout regime. "Wii Fit" will weigh you each day you set foot on the balance board. This will be used to track your progress, and for some, hearing your onscreen avatar express disappointment at a gain may be enough to shame you into not skipping a workout.

  "EA Sports Active" allows you to create an exercise plan that includes days of rest, encouraging you to safely exercise to tone up and start feeling better. If you want a more rounded approach to weight loss with your Wii, use the food guide present in the "Biggest Loser" game to learn not only how to exercise properly, but also how to east healthy foods. Weight loss is about diet and exercise, so balancing both is key. As long as you stick to your weight loss routine and avoid cheating or skipping days, you'll find that exercising on the Wii can be a fun and effective way to lose weight.

Results

• You may be asking yourself if you will actually see any results from your Wii fitness routine. The WiiNintendo website ran a feature testing to see if "Wii Sports" is an effective exercise tool. The exertions made by the body during this game was enough for the writer to lose ten pounds in two months and three inches off of his waist.

  "Wired" author Chris Kohler attempted a similar test with "Wii Fit" and came to the conclusion that "Wii Fit is a convenient and helpful way for me to get back in shape." Your results may vary, but if you choose the game that is right for you and commit yourself to daily workouts, the Wii is a viable piece of exercise equipment, beyond accidentally throwing your Wii Remote through your television.