Tag Archives: wii

Amanda Gosik Lost an Incredible 175 Pounds. “I Weigh Less Now Than I Did in the 6th Grade.”

If you’re a parent you know the feeling of wanting more for your children, greater happiness, more friendships, a better education, etc. That feeling of devotion was especially true for Amanda Gosik, a mother of three from Missouri. Though she had been heavy all of her life, she didn’t get serious about weight loss until a doctor told her that her 3-year-old was considered obese. That was Amanda’s wakeup call.

amanda gosik collage

“That was the sign I needed to get serious and make some changes or my family would suffer,” admitted Amanda. After losing an astonishing 175 pounds, she’s truly leading by example.

More from Amanda in her own words: 

When did your weight struggles begin? “I have always been large aside from early childhood. My first and second grade pictures are tiny and then by third grade I was noticeably overweight. My 6th grade year I wore a size 20 pants. I battled to lose during my teens and early 20’s and nothing changed.”

What habits specifically led you to gain weight? “Eating my feelings were a big part of it, I’m sure. Growing up in a house where takeout happened all the time and ‘cooked’ meals were fried or TV dinners didn’t help either.”

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Wii Fit U Can Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals at Home and All Day Long

Last month, I gave you a side-by-side comparison of today’s most popular fitness gadgets. We looked at the Jawbone UP, the Nike FuelBand, the Fitbit Force, and a few other wearable devices you can take with you to track your physical activity on the go. There’s another contender in this area that deserves your consideration, and that’s the Wii Fit U. It’ll appeal most to those of you who already have a Nintendo Wii U game console, as opposed to those starting from scratch. Here’s a look at how it works.

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Wii Fit U ‘Fit Meter’
The Fit Meter is one of three components that make up the complete Wii Fit U bundle. It’s the actual device you wear on the outside of your clothes when you’re out and about. Not only does it function as a pedometer, but it also keeps track of calories you burn and your activity throughout the day.

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4 Fun Ways to Exercise (and Play) with Kids

By Rachel Larkey from AroundthePlate.org

Believe it or not, it is recommended that a healthy adult get 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity. This can range from household chores to hitting that cycling class you’ve always wondered about. For your children, at least 60 minutes of activity a day is needed. Luckily for all of the busy moms and dads out there, exercising with your kids can be a fun way to share family time while getting fit! Working out with your kids can also be a fun way to teach them the value of physical activity and to lead by example. Here are four ways to be physically active with your kids:

Dance!

Small children LOVE to dance, regardless of the music choice. Take this opportunity to dance with them! It doesn’t matter if you look silly because you will both be having fun, and dancing is a great way to burn calories. Make sure that while you bust a move you keep your core braced by pulling the belly button in towards the spine. For toning, try to incorporate moves which twist the midsection back and forth. For cardio, try keeping the arms above the head to get the heart pumping.   (more…)

Active Video Games Actually Won’t Make Your Kid More Active

Apparently even today’s top of the line technology is no match for old fashioned bike riding and classic outdoor play. A new study revealed that “active” video games won’t actually make a kid more active.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that children and teens should get at least one hour of physical activity every day. Previously, it was believed that “active” video games could assist in increasing a child’s activity level.

Recently researchers tested this theory. Seventy-eight children were given Wii consoles and were monitored for 12 weeks. Half of the children in the study were given games like “Wii Fit Plus” and “Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party 3.” These are considered active games. The other half of the children were given “inactive” games like “Mario Kart Wii” or “Madden NFL 10.”

The children kept journals of their play time over the 12 weeks. They also wore accelerometers to measure their acceleration and exertion. The conclusion showed that the active game group was no more physically active than the inactive game group. The researchers thought there might have at least been an initial spike in physical activity at the beginning of the study, however they found that there were no differences throughout the entire study.
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Nintendo Announces Zumba Fitness Game for the Wii Fit

Well, it’s here at last. Wii Fit has released the new game  Zumba Fitness. Zumba is an extremely popular Brazilian dance program that incorporates international dance techniques with aerobic exercise. With over 30 songs, including motivating Latin dance music, Zumba Fitness will help you tone your muscles, build your endurance levels, and  have fun all at the same time.

The game is comprised of several different difficulty levels and dance venues to challenge every bit of your fitness level and dance technique. A few of the exciting dance venues include a gym, a nightclub, and a penthouse roof of a high-rise skyscraper.

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Fit in Exercise When You Have No Time

The holiday season is in full swing, and we couldn’t be happier. It’s a great time of year to spend time with friends and family, attend holiday parties, and surprise loved ones with the perfect gift. It’s cold outside, though, and many of us use our gigantic “to-do” lists and the cold as an excuse to skip out on the most necessary part of the day. I know I have a tough time getting the work outs in some days. One or two days of this and you’ll find yourself out of your fitness habit. Don’t let that happen to you.  Here are some great ways to get your exercise in, and, as a bonus, many of them use your favorite electronic devices AND keep you out of the cold weather!

Wii/Xbox with Kinect – Long gone are the days where playing games equals sitting still for hours. Both gaming systems get you up and active, jumping around and actively participating. They make exercise fun. I’m a not-so-secret fan of Just Dance 2. I can set it to the “tough” level, and before I know it, I’ve exceeded the level of exercise I’d planned – and I’m not even finished. My son and husband have regular ping pong championships, and I’ve heard rumors that I may be challenged to a boxing show down. (Psst! We are giving away a ton of Wii Fitness games in our Tech-nically Fit Gift Guide Giveaway, so make sure to enter!)

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Seven Tips to Make This Your Losing Season

Guest blogger, Carol Dunlop is certified through FiTour as a Personal Trainer and through the American Red Cross as a CPR, AED and First Aid Instructor. She has competed and placed in several Fitness America and National Bodybuilding competitions. To receive your free E-course “How to Burn Calories While you Sleep,” visit her website: OptimumBodySculpting.com.

The holiday season is almost here. I know it’s hard to think about or even believe but soon you’ll be humming the reindeer song and thinking about the best dessert to bring to Aunt Mary’s soiree. Turn the tide this holiday season and come out on the losing end with these easy-to-follow tips. (more…)

Working Out as Important as Meals with Nutrisystem Meal Plan

For 16 weeks, Lori Jackson, a mom of three and grandmother to two, will be checking in with DietsInReview.com to share her personal experience with Nutrisystem. The good, the bad, and everything in between, see first-hand how the Nutrisystem program works.

Nutrisystem Week 6

Hope you all had a great week, because I sure did. The scale is moving, the body is changing, and the weather has cooled off. That is a trifecta if I ever saw one.

I work in a warehouse where it’s typically very hot, which means I get a pretty generous workout during my work day. Since it is cooling off, that means my “at work” workout is not going to get me as far. I’m still walking 8-10 miles every day (per my pedometer) but in cooler conditions, so I will have to start my regular workouts on the Wii again, like the Wii Sports boxing that is a lot of fun… and a huge workout! (more…)

Obama Kids Play Wii Fit

The Nintendo Wii has been on my radar for several months, right after seeing how much fun it is firsthand playing it with friends. I know I’m late in the game here, but if you’re like me and haven’t bought one yet, it’s great fun for the whole family.

I’m always looking for creative ways to get my four-year-old activity and avoiding boredom at the same time. This definitely can be done with games such as bowling and Wii Sports Resort, the few that I’ve already tried firsthand. They’re both fun and physical.

But, Wii Fit takes the activity level to a different level. And then there’s Wii Fit Plus, which adds more exercises and other features.

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Wii Fit Replaces Gym Class In Texas

Remember the days when gym class meant simply running around or playing in groups whether it be a round of basketball, dodge ball, wiffle ball or even baseball? Most kids live for these outlets to give them a break from math or history class and kids just like to move and be active. With all that said I was really surprised when I learned that two Texas schools were going to start instituting the Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit to promote health and physical activity.

For those of you who have not had the opportunity to try the Wii Fit, you can read our Wii Fit review along with a follow-up article on the reality of the Wii Fit, once we all made it past the initial hype.

The idea of having the Wii Fit at home in your living room to encourage kids to get off the couch and be more active and engaged is great. On the other hand, using this system at school can actually inhibit the amount of exercise students would otherwise normally get due to the physical activity associated with the Wii Fit being somewhat limited. Students don’t need the Wii to learn how to do a push-up or sit-up the good old-fashioned way; kids running and jumping and interacting together and not with a machine is best. (more…)

EA Sports Active to Launch New Fitness Products

Exercising on the Wii is an easy and fun way to get in your daily exercise. The number one rated fitness program for the Wii, used by millions of people worldwide, is EA Sports Active. This week, EA Sports announced the development of their newest title, EA SPORTS Active 2.0. Available for use on multiple platforms, including the Wii, PlayStation3, iPhone and iPod Touch, the newest member of the EA Sports fitness line features a wireless control system, controlled by arm and leg straps equipped with motion sensors. It comes equipped with a heart rate monitor and a customized online hub that enables you to track and share workout data. (more…)