A Game For Weight Loss?
Nintendo has been doing its best to make games that are not only fun for the whole family, but also useful in their own right - and My Weight Loss Coach is no exception!
Similar to Wii Fit, My Weight Loss Coach is a Ubisoft game that aims to help players in the long haul by making it fun to record their weight, enter their pedometer results, keep track of their fitness and diet regimens, and serve as your digital companion to weight loss!
Sure, a game like Dance Dance Revolution might help you lose weight -- that game actually forces you to move your feet! But how could a handheld device help? And isn't weight loss typically difficult anyway?
Well, that's what I'm here to find out... and I'm bringing you along with me for the ride!
Teeny Disclaimer: I'm already taking a small dose of Metformin, a common prescription hormone regulator believed to help weight loss and related problems (like insulin resistance and diabetes), while starting this program. This may give me an unfair advantage as compared to your own results.
Consider speaking to your doctor or a specialist if you think you need similar special medications. Also talk to your doctor if you are in need of more drastic measures for weight loss, have special health considerations that make normal activity difficult, are older than you're willing to admit, or if you aren't old enough to make big decisions (like this one!) on your own.
Tried Out My Weight Loss Coach yet?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes I have!
The_Homeopath says:
Anxiously waiting to! I'm looking for help tracking my efforts to increase my cardiovascular fitness and I really like the pedometer plug-in.
Posted July 13, 2008
No way!
How Does It Look?
My Weight Loss Coach Official Gameplay Video
http://gamesundertheknife.com real people reviewing real games all day every day. Copyright - Ubisoft
Runtime: 1:04
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10 Comments:
The First Day
You'll also be led through using your shiny new pedometer that came with the game -- it has a port to work with the Game Boy Advance Slot, so the game can make sure you aren't cheating!
Make sure it's working properly (I had a little trouble pulling out the plastic tab, and ended up yanking out the whole battery - oops!), and then go test it out with 50 steps to make sure it's accurate. Then 500 steps. The game won't let you proceed with the introduction unless you do this.
Game Tip: If you're using a DS Lite, snap the game shut while you go off to do physical challenges! This will save your DS's battery life. Don't worry - your progress is saved while you're off losing weight!
Once you've done this, you'll be led through a coaching session -- basically a short quiz to check your progress. After completing the session, you'll make new challenges available that you can finish for bonuses!
Balancing the food you eat with the exercise you get is a crucial portion of the game.
You'll need to go off and do another challenge before it'll show you how the Food Balance and Physical Activity sections work -- they're where you input how much food you've eaten and how much exercise you've done to offset your food intake. Balancing the food you eat with the exercise you get is a crucial portion of the game.
After this? You're given a little more coaching and made to sign a promise to come back daily to keep up with everything and put new data into the game. Clever, since daily input is a key component of the program.
So far, everything is working normally, I've done a couple of challenges, and (as far as I know) most of the introduction is completed. It feels like it's working so far . . . but of course it's only the first day, so it's anybody's guess at this point. If nothing else, the game has a good amount of polish (though I did do the introduction with the sound off so far), and so it's not like the interface to the program itself will disappoint new players.
The pedometer is larger than I'd hoped for, but it needs half that size in order to fit inside the DS to begin with, and it's certainly a useful way to keep people from forgetting to check in with the game from time to time. (And making it plug into the DS itself also forces players to actually take the number of steps they say they're taking, which should keep less scrupulous folks from just cheating through the game and then claiming it doesn't work.)
Some Disadvantages: The game doesn't take into account the reduced mobility less mobile players (such as wheelchair users) may have. Also, the game is only able to accommodate a single player at a time -- no sharing a cartridge between players!
Five Things You Can Do To Enhance Your Game
Keep Water Nearby! Staying hydrated means staying healthy! It'll also help improve your metabolism so you process food faster!- Play Every Day! Constant input not only helps the device help you, it'll enforce a habit of paying attention not only to what you're eating, but also how much progress you're making!
- Wear that pedometer everywhere! Every step counts, and you'll be surprised how many steps you can rack up doing ordinary everyday things like shopping, answering the phone, or even going to the bathroom! Also, it's a physical reminder that you're trying to lose weight!
- Keep Your DS on Hand! Aside from being able to load up your pedometer's results during the day and taking quick minute challenges, you can also walk around while playing other games on it -- so it's like playing two games at once!
- Take this game seriously! So much of the game depends on what you put into it, so if you don't keep it updated with your weight... or you don't do the challenges, but say you do... or you try to find ways to "cheat" the pedometer... then it won't work, and you only have yourself to blame!
The Second Day - Making Progress!
Game Tip: Make sure your pedometer is fitting snugly within the DS -- if it's not all the way in, the DS will have trouble reading it!)
By now, I've reached the first milestone (Mount Everest!), signed up for a new batch of challenges, logged over 10,000 steps in the past two days, and it's obvious that there's a fair amount more inside this game than is immediately obvious!
Results aren't going to make themselves obvious immediately, but I certainly am starting to feel better and healthier -- and the way the game works is becoming more obvious.
Instead of encouraging people to reward themselves with expensive things (a distraction) or "bad food" (toxic!) the game rewards you with you questions and challenges. Not only does this keep the game interesting, but it also keeps players focused on "winning" the game instead of stuffing themselves!
Some Disadvantages: The pedometer has some heft to it, and so using the DS while the pedometer is plugged in may feel uncomfortable. Also, the game is all stylus-control -- something you'll notice when you miss just pressing the "A" button to hurry your avatar along!
The Third Day
Keeping up with the foods I eat is getting better, though. The posts are likely going to become shorter and shorter as it becomes more of a habit, which... it's pretty easy to fall into. The pedometer is starting to feel less like a foreign object now.
Check Your Pedometer Regularly!
The rubber end-cap to your pedometer protects the electronics it uses to connect to the DS -- it often rubs off on chairs and seat belts, so check regularly to make sure it's still attached!
You don't really need the cap if you end up losing it, but why risk it?
The Fourth Day
Today the game also increased my pedometer goals by 500 steps. Since I've been hitting the 6000 steps goal pretty easily thus far, it's starting to show that it adapts to your routine as you get further and further along!
Still waiting to see results on the scale, but as far as following the game goes, it's pretty simple!
Oh No! Need New Pedometer Batteries?
Maxell 2032 Lithium Battery Pack of 5
Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 10/11/2008)
These are the batteries you'll need for your pedometer if the old batteries aren't working! You won't be able to find them much cheaper, and I've already done the hard work of identifying which ones you need!
The Weekend!
Bump in the Road: The pedometer is a little TOO sensitive sometimes - say, when you've in a car whose ride isn't so smooth, or on roller coasters, or other similar vehicles... the pedometer will record steps where you haven't taken them! according to my DS, I managed around 14000 steps Saturday -- which I'm pretty sure didn't happen!
(Then again, my feet ARE killing me...)
I certainly feel healthier, though the results still haven't shown up on the scale yet. I get the feeling it'll take a couple more weeks for that to happen, but it did show me one important thing: The game WILL remind you to weigh in, so you don't have to worry about forgetting to keep the game updated!
So... is it worth it?
As someone who's had trouble sticking to programs in the past, "My Weight Loss Coach" is a GODSEND. The time that would be spent playing Mario Party now goes into watching my health, and even if the weight loss isn't instant, I certainly feel better and healthier already for doing it!
"Weight Loss Coach" shouldn't be done by itself, but as part of an overall conscious change to want to become healthier! Don't just do the bare minimum the game wants; go for the Distance!
Get Your Own Weight Loss Coach!
My Weight Loss Coach
Amazon Price: $30.99 (as of 10/11/2008)
List Price: $39.99
This is the game I'm reviewing. If you'd like to record your own progress with the game, or try it out for yourself, you should buy it here!
Usually ships in 24 hours
Like this Review?
Well? Say something!
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Pam_McDonald
This is a very interesting lens. Your review is very well done. I also have a weight loss lens and would love for you to drop by and say hello. Posted August 16, 2008 |
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JigsawForte
The game wants to cap out "around" 400 pounds, yes. If you're much heavier than that, you likely already qualify for more drastic treatments that can help you shed pounds -- but that doesn't mean the game can't still help! Posted July 30, 2008 |
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JigsawForte
The game wants to cap out "around" 400 pounds, yes. If you're much heavier than that, you likely already qualify for more drastic treatments that can help you shed pounds -- but that doesn't mean the game can't still help! Posted July 30, 2008 |
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daba373
Great Tips. Remember, Good nutrition, high intensity training and patience is the key to fat loss too. Fat Loss 4 Idiots The Truth About Six Pack Abs Program Posted July 29, 2008 |
What BMI does the game go up to. Or weight does it go up to 400 lbs?
Posted July 27, 2008
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