Wii for weightloss: How moms are using this game system to drop baby weight (& how you can too)

Wii games help you loose weight without being boring.
This is a screen shot of one of the fitness challenges in
Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009

Losing weight after you have a baby is something every mom tries for. For some of us its easier than others. Finding the time and motivation can add stress, which doesn't help anything. And sometimes the things you try don't quite work well enough. Sure walking around the neighborhood is good for you and relaxing when the weather's right but it some of us need more to shed those baby pounds.

Some moms have turned to their Wii gaming system for help and have found BIG benefits. One such mom is Julie Maloney, founder of the Cool Mom Guide and Wii Fit Mommies, who lost 60 pounds playing Wii.

Julie tells me: "I was so depressed about my weight after struggling with it for years and trying diet pills, gyms and workout DVD's. I just found that nothing was working for me. I didn't have the motivation (or the money) to drive to a gym every day and the pain my knees received from the high impact aerobic workouts left me hurting for days. One afternoon last year while instant messaging with my husband, he sent me the link to the new Wii Fit from Nintendo. We had recently purchased a Wii because we loved the interaction it provided for our family and just the basic game pack got us up off the couch."

Julie says she "started practicing portion control" on the food front and relied on Wii Fit for exercise. "I went through every single Yoga and Strength training exercise in order until I had unlocked every game and every level. Before each level was unlocked, I'd play all the available games then I'd do the Hula Hoop, Step and Rhythm Boxing. Once I had unlocked every game and level, my routine was to do every expert level yoga and strength in order (took about 45 minutes to get though them all) and then I'd finish with the 10 minute hula hoop. I did this every single day for 55 minutes faithfully for 7 months and lost 60 pounds. The weight was slow to come off at first but after being strict with my portions (I no longer ate the Value meal, I went for the happy meal) and dedicated to an hour every single day it started to literally melt away."

And Julie's not alone. Many other moms, including Tobi-Dawne "Yandt" Smith, have told me similar stories. "Since getting Wii Fit, I've now lost about 20 pounds. I still have a bit to go, but I'm almost half way there," Yandt says.

Debbie Bookstaber, mom of a 10 month old and editor at Mamanista.com, says she's lost 25 pounds doing Wii for baby weight loss. "My son was born in April 2008. I bought the Wii in May to lose the baby weight since I never have time to go to the gym now that I have a baby. And I've been using the Wii ever since."

Wii is super fun not just for you but the whole family. And its something you can do in your living room while baby naps or with some games you can wear your tot. If you have older kids, you can get them involved.

Yandt, who has an 18 month old daughter, says her daughter "loves when I do the ski jump or the mini-game with the penguins on the Wii Fit. They're her favorites. I'll make funny noises when I do some of the less-fun-to-watch parts of a workout. It keeps her interested and laughing, which makes everything even more enjoyable."

"It's fun, it's varied, you can fit it into your schedule in small bunches (five minutes here, two there, and another 15 elsewhere).  You don't end up doing the same workout over and over like you would with a DVD. You don't have to drive anywhere. Your family can work out with you. It's just an overall fabulous way to get fit," Yandt adds.

Julie agrees, "It's easy to involve your kids, that's the beauty of this game and how I was able to be so dedicated. My second child was still an infant when I started, so if he wasn't sleeping I'd actually 'wear' him in a baby carrier for some of the games... It's definitely an extra boost to the workout!"

She also involves her three year old in game play. "While the Wii Fit is not meant to be a 2 player game, it does have a 2 player run where my 3 year old and I could play together.  It's perfect for the cold, rainy days of winter when we can't get outside.  Each player takes a wii remote and puts it in their pocket (Nintendo has started making a sleeve attachment players can now wear I hear, I haven't got that yet) and runs in place.  If I was working out and my son got restless watching because he wanted in, I'd hand him a remote and chase him around the room.  We'd both be laughing and running and can see our 'Miis' running along with us on the TV screen," Julie says.

Wii games aren't typical video games, they require you get into the action. And you really do, whether is wielding your light saber around in one of the Star Wars games (the LEGO one is a great one if you have kids), bowling or playing tennis on the Wii Sports game that comes with every console, or doing a game specialized for weight loss like the new Wii game by Jillian Michaels, trainer and life coach on the NBC hit series “The Biggest Loser,” called Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009.

"The Wii gets you moving, but it doesn't feel like exercise. Plus, you can get the whole family involved. My husband and I compete against each other in Wii Boxing and Wii Tennis. The Wii Fit guides you through aerobic activities, yoga poses, strength training and balance games. And it even weighs you and tracks your BMI, which is a wonderful motivator," says Debbie.

I was skeptical at first but heard so many stories of the sweat and pounds that come off while having a blast I decided to give it a go. Playing everyday for about 30 minutes, I lost 2 pounds the first week playing Wii Sports Tennis, Bowling, Boxing plus the workouts on Jillian Michaels. And now that I'm pregnant, I do Wii games in moderation to keep off excess baby weight. And it's working. I'm only a few pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight and I'm half way through this pregnancy. That's a drastic reduction in baby weight game for me! After the baby, I'll be able to get into more intense Wii workouts.

Valerie C Merriweather, 4-time mom and founder of Fitwell Training Solutions, tells me, "I know firsthand how challenging it can be to lose that baby weight. Many clients I work with are frustrated that the weight doesn’t just “fall off” and resort to unhealthy attempts to lose weight such as extreme calorie restriction or following the next “magic bullet” to fast weight loss."

"I recommend the Wii for moms who want variety in their fitness program or need a cross training activity to supplement their traditional program.  It is crucial that postnatal moms receive their physician clearance prior to beginning a Wii Sports program or any other type of exercise.  Because the pregnancy hormone relaxin remains in a woman’s body for up to 6 months (and sometimes longer) after delivery, her joints my still have the laxity that can cause injury especially performing intense punching or directional movements," she says

Valerie adds the moms who get C-sections need to wait much longer before getting into any fitness program than moms who have a vaginal birth. "Once cleared by their physicians, women who give birth vaginally can perform many activities they did prior to delivery.  However, for c-section recovery, activity must be modified to incorporate proper healing of the outer and inner scars.  The scar can take up to 14 weeks to heal...This should be taken into consideration before beginning an intense program like Wii boxing or other video game fitness programs."

Wii is a great gift for the whole family, not only for the togetherness it provides (and you will all want to play together), but everyone can get in shape. You can work out as hard or as mildly as you want. It is a win-win!

So what games do the job? "The Wii’s popularity prompted an exclusive study by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the University of Wisconsin. The study looked at the potential fitness benefits of Wii Sports using the baseball, tennis, golf, bowling and boxing programs. The results of this study concluded that the Wii boxing produced the most caloric expenditure – 216 calories for every 30 minutes of activity," says Valerie.

Here are recommendations of games I've tried and/or recs from moms I interviewed:

• Wii Fit
• Wii Sports (comes included with every Wii console)
• Wii Active Life Outdoor Challenge
• Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 for Wii