-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Subscribe
Credit
Wii Fit Plus
Meghan says:
When I bought my Wii Fit last year I was DETERMINED to use it regularly and get back in shape. That lasted, oh, a day week. I enjoyed it when I did it, but I just couldn’t bring myself to use it reguarly. Especially since it was a huge pain in the butt to try to break it out when the kids were around.
They were constantly all up in my grill.
So I was excited when Nintendo offered me the opportunity to try the new and improved Wii Fit Plus. Because I certainly hadn’t used my Wii Fit Regular to it’s full potential. Maybe the fun, new games would get me motivated to…actually use it.
It hasn’t. But not for the reasons you might think. Because Dylan likes it so much I can’t use it, EVEN THOUGH I WANT TO.
The kid is obsessed with it. OBSESSED. He has been known to spend hours at a time playing it.
And I don’t really mind because he’s being active, he’s problem solving, he’s counting…and he’s learning about losing. Which, if you know Dylan AT ALL, you know that he HATES to lose.
Wii Fit Plus has some really cool new features. It shows you how many calories you’ve burned per exercise game. Which is nice because it gives you some positive reinforcement as you go, but it stink when it’s only a handful of calories. You can also set up a custom workout using the My Wii Fit Plus Routines section. Each routine targets a different section of the body, so you can work on the specific areas you want. Goodbye thunder thighs!
There are also some fun new games, including a TON of new balance games. Dylan and I really enjoy snowball fight and the obstacle course games. There’s a fun game called bird’s eye bulls eye where your Mii is dressed in a chicken costume and, while standing on the balance board and leaning to and fro to steer your bird, you flap your arms to fly though the air. You have to land on these pillars sticking out of the ocean and you get points and extra time based on how close you are to the center of each one. Let me tell you, by the end you can feel it in your arms.
Dylan’s favorite games are the ones that require him to run in place. There’s a new bike riding game that takes you all over the island (which is another new addition to Wii Fit- it takes place on an island, pina coladas not included, darn it.) and requires you to find flags. There are some new running courses that test your memory (and math skills) by giving you a short quiz at the end.
My only real complaint is that the Balance board character guy talks to you A LOT and he’s annoying. But I’ve said the same thing about my husband, so…yeah.
If you already have Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus is a great value and is totally worth the $19.99. If you’ve been thinking about getting Wii Fit, and you’re committed to losing a few extra pounds and having fun while doing it, the $99.99 price for a balance board and Wii Fit Plus is definitely worth it.
*Disclosure – this item was received free of charge with the understanding that I would give an objective review*
EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge – Wrap Up
Heather says:
Read my first post here!
Read my second post here!
Read my third post here!
Holy cow you guys. I did it. I actually finished the EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge! Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be able to do it. Neither did a few other people *COUGHmeghanCOUGH*.
But here I am, DONE. I’m kinda proud of myself.
I really can’t say enough about the 30 Day Challenge. It’s fun and it’s effective. You feel like you’re playing a game, but you sweat and you burn and you feel good about yourself when it’s done.
I have some friends that want to borrow the system and honestly? I don’t think I can lend it out. I plan on using it multiple times a week for the foreseeable future.
Final results – down five pounds. I’m almost eating like a regular person (which for me, really, is normal). And the best part? I am down a pants size and NOT down a bra size. Sorry if that’s TMI, but it’s so nice to lose in the tush and not the chest.
Has anyone else had such great results?
EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge – Update Two
Heather says:
Read my first post here!
Read my second post here!
Read my wrap up post here!
I was looking at the calendar my EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge keeps for me, and I was shocked to see that I am more than two thirds of the way through my challenge. I’ll be done next week. I can’t believe it.
I am still really enjoying the challenge. It isn’t a chore or a struggle to play. I can finish most work outs in under 25 minutes, so I always can fit an exercise session in. Not that I’m doing much else, but that’s beside the point.
I really only have one complaint about the game, and it’s only on one exercise in particular. When I do squats (my most loathed exercise), the nunchuck doesn’t always register my movement. Considering how much I HATE squats, I get annoyed when I have to repeat them unnecessarily. But, I have figured out a work-around, and I’m pretty sure the problem lies in my height and not in the program.
I’m down three pounds, and my appetite is still improving. I’ve given up on hoping to sleep better, but I think a smaller pants size isn’t out of the question. I’ve already gone in a loop on my belt buckle!
EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge – Update One
Heather says:
Read my first post here!
Read my second update here!
Read my wrap up post here!
I have been doing the EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge for over a week now, and I have to say I am really, really impressed! I’m already seeing results.
Because I’d mostly just been sitting on my couch or laying in bed, I wanted to ease my body into exercising regularly. The EA Sports Active has different intensity levels for their workouts (a big relief). I started with the lowest intensity, and by the end of my first week I’d upped the intensity level to moderate. And, shockingly, I could handle it!
This isn’t to say the game is easy. Far from it. Every workout had me huffing and puffing and breaking a sweat. The first few workouts left me so sore I longed for my first off-day. But, surprisingly, I was excited to work out again once that off-day was over. I know this is because the workouts are actually fun – they feel like games, not like exercise.
My biggest problem with the Wii Fit is that I would pick the same exercises over and over again. The EA Sports Active chooses the workouts for me. This makes me work out my entire body, which is great. If I had my druthers, I would do the boxing exercise all day. It’s a great release for me.
As far as my goals, I’m doing well. Exercising has made me hungrier – normally a bad thing, but since I’ve been on the “grief diet” I haven’t been eating much. I’m feeling a little stronger physically. Sleeping is still a problem for me, but I do notice that I feel tired sooner, so while I’m still not sleeping well, I’m getting in bed earlier than usual. I’ve only dropped one pound, but my clothes are fitting MUCH better. I think I might go down a size during the challenge! Hopefully I’ll soon be able to put my retail therapy to good use.
Is anyone else having results yet?
I’m Taking the EA Sports Active for the Wii 30 Day Challenge
Heather Says:
This is a compensated review from BlogHer and EA Sports Active for the Wii
Read my first update here!
Read my second update here!
Read my wrap up post here!
A few weeks ago I received an email from BlogHer Ads looking for bloggers that might be interested in participating in the EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge. I read the email and instead of immediately being turned off by the idea of exercise, I saw the opportunity it provided. As you know, I’ve been through a lot lately. I spend a lot of time inside, not doing much. By taking the 30 Day Challenge, I would be forced to get up and get active for at least 20 minutes every day. This would be a big change from my usual schedule of sitting on my couch or laying in bed. So I expressed my interest and a few days later I got the word I was chosen for the challenge.
This past January I posted my weight loss goal on my blog – to lose 20 pounds by my 30th birthday. I’ve lost ten pounds so far but I’ve been stuck for a while. I’m sure that if I started exercising I would be able to chip away at the last ten. With my birthday looming on June 27th, I have extra motivation to kick it into gear.
I’ve read amazing things about the EA Sports Active! I know many people have lost weight, which I definitely wouldn’t complain about, but I’m not hung up on my weight anymore. My main goal is to be healthy and focus on doing something good for me once a day. My hope is that by being active, I will have a healthier appetite, sleep better, and feel better, too.
I hope other people will join me on my quest to get active and healthy. Who’s with me?!
Boogie Superstar
Heather Says:
I was given a Wii for my birthday, and even though I was soooo stoked to get it, I’ve really only stayed with my trusted two games (Wii Sports & Wii Fit). I like both of those games and I’m not really a risk taker. Then Parent Bloggers Network asked me if I wanted to play a singing and dancing game called Boogie Superstar, and I thought, “Self, it’s about time to step out of your bubble.”
When the game arrived, it was packaged so that the included microphone is prominent. My husband took one look at it and said, “Oh boy. Let me know when you’ll be playing this game so I can be sure to NOT be here.” Whatever dude, I have an awesome singing voice. I was not pleased, though, when I opened the package and discovered that the microphone is NOT wireless. This is a game for the Wii – the WIRELESS game system.
The game has a fun and detailed opening sequence that rips a bit on American Idol. My daughter sat there and stared wide-eyed at the TV during the entire opening, but I think the funniest part was when the on-screen characters spoke. I think they are speaking in Japanese, with English subtitles. My daughter (who is one) BUSTED UP laughing when she heard the foreign language. I was shocked since, at one, I figured all adult language sounded foreign to her. Aaaaah kids.
After some quick instruction, it was time to play. Luckily, I wasn’t alone – Casey and her daughter the moosh were at my house and they played with me. Well, Casey played. The moosh and Maddie watched us and danced. It was hilarious.
The game has a few different options. You can perform a karaoke solo or duet, a dance solo, or a dance duet. A karaoke duet is pretty hard with only one microphone, so after one go-round, Casey and I nixed that from our competitions. There are basic dance moves that you perform with the controller, and they slowly get harder and harder. The dance moves are hilarious – there is a move like a bicycle pump, another where you spin around and jump, and one where you flap your arms like a chicken.
We did a lot of dancing and singing (and exclusively dancing after the kids went to bed) and we quickly progressed up the rankings of Boogie Superstar. The farther along you go in the game, the more points you can earn to unlock other songs and outfits for your characters. Casey and I might have played like crazy to unlock “Toxic,” by Britney Spears, and NO I do not find any shame in that. All the songs are by known artists like Britney Spears, Kanye West, Natasha Beddingfield, and The Jonas Brothers, just to name a few. That definitely makes it more fun. And don’t worry – all the songs have clean language, so you can play in front of your kids.
Boogie Superstar is crazy addictive. Casey and I played it so long that we could hardly move our arms the next day. What, the lasso and tornado moves require a lot of effort!!! It is WAY more fun when you play with a friend – the competition aspect is what really makes the game unique.
I like this game a lot, and I know I’ll bust it out a lot over the holidays. My biggest complaint is the wired microphone. If it had been wireless, I would have given Boogie Superstar five flames, but instead it gets the still high Rating: 
