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So I did terrible with my first two weeks of EA Active and I decided to start the 30 day challenge over again tonight. I had just missed so many consecutive days that there was no way I was going to make my goals, nor would it even make an impact on me to just do it here and there until I did the 20 required workouts. Bah.

After that I decided I wanted to keep sweating a bit, so I decided to pop in Punch Out and use the balance board and motion controls. Oddly enough, I'm so good at the first three characters that I really didn't have to dodge a single punch. It wasn't until King Hippo where I actually had to start moving around. It's a little tough, but I used some of my tactics from the Soccer mini-game from Wii Fit to help dodge quicker. It's a little clunky as your weight is basically just dictating a button press. I beat Piston Hondo (pretty easily) and decided to turn it off. I'll give Bear Hugger a shot tomorrow after my next Active session.

Phil jenna is thinking about getting EA Active but would she need the board to make it better or does it even matter. What one would be better Wii Fit or EA Active.

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I would say go with Active, it does a lot more to help motivate you to keep working out. You don't need the board for Active, it only enhances a handful of activities and even then it's not doing anything overly special. I really like Wii Fit a lot too, but like I said, Active is the one people would be more likely to stick with.

Mandy wants to get it too.
Her sister got it last week. Man, Excer-gaming taking over!

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It's a good time! I'm on workout 13 or 14 out of 20. 30 Day Challenge is almost complete!

Been since June since I last posted in here.

Well since then, I did finish that 30 day challenge. I felt good that I actually finished it, but I didn't lose a single pound. After that I went between Active and Wii Fit doing it only twice a week or so for about two weeks. I realized I wasn't losing any weight because I was also eating the same awful foods that I normally did while doing it. Plus, a 20 - 30 minute, somewhat simple routine using a video game wasn't going to do much anyway.

So I decided to try and cut out sugary drinks and soda almost completely as a first step. I've been drinking water almost exclusively for the last 5 weeks. Sometimes for dinner I'll make some sort of smoothy by throwing some fruit and milk into a blender, but I'll save soda or beer for just a few drinks over the weekend. I've also been trying really hard just to cut out snacking, which is hard especially at work where there is nothing but snacks nonstop. I also decided that I need to bring in lunch every single day instead of always buying out. So it isn't so much that I'm on a strict diet, just trying to not be so out of control.

On top of all this, I've been alternating back and forth between EA Active and Wii Fit, and normal routine walking when I take my dog out. I find I'm getting tired of Active, as the variety of exercises doesn't feel as great as what is Wii Fit. Still, it gets you sweating quickly and working hard without any breaks. It takes much less time to do a 20 - 30 minute workout using that than in Wii Fit when you spend all that time fiddling with menus. When I have more time (usually Friday nights or Saturday morning) I'll do extra long Wii Fit routines. I've also been weighing myself on Saturday mornings with Wii Fit to track my progress.

So far I've lost 10 pounds doing this, and I haven't sacrificed much. I'm already a rather thin person, but I was starting to get the grown man beer belly. I didn't want it to get out of control (plus my pants weren't fitting me as well as they did) so I figured I needed to do something. But I'm not in this just to lose weight though, I also just want to feel better since I'm generally always in pain because of my stupid back. I figured trying to strengthen my muscles would help me. I think overall I feel better. I still get tired quickly when doing a workout, but as far as just sitting in a chair and not being in absolute pain, it isn't as bad as it used to be (though I still have some awful bad days).

The summer is always brutal because you just want to relax and have some beers or order some food. Plus vacations, concerts, BBQs, parties, and all that jazz. I gained everything back that I lost when I started eating better from Feb-May. But I'm going hardcore after Labor Day. I came to the conclusion that there's no way I can diet on the weekends. So my weekdays are gonna be hardcore then on weekends I'll try to be as good as I can.

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I know I'm the only person still using these games, but Wii Fit Plus is due to hit on Oct 4th and the stand alone version is only 20 bucks. So glad Nintendo decided to sell it so low since it's largely the same game. I'm grabbing that for sure. BUT it looks like the new Wii Fit Plus bundle has actually gone up 10 dollars putting it at 100 bucks. That's pretty shitty. How can they go low on the disc release but higher on the full deal? Lame.

I haven't actually played Wii Fit Plus yet, but I threw it into the system and to a look at all the new stuff.

The best feature has to be the fact that it imports all of your old Wii Fit save data. So it brings over every single detail and loses nothing. The game literally replaces the original Wii Fit. It includes every single Wii Fit activity in addition to all the new content, including the old mini-games. There is a screen full of new minis that actually look pretty sweet and I look forward to trying them out. I think there are about 15 in all. There are also 3 new yoga and 3 new strength training exercises added to the mix as well. But the real good stuff is the addition of a calorie counter like EA Active, and being able to make your own routine. The game has tiny routines already built in, but nothing as robust as EA Active. Like you can target your abs, and it'll just pull up three activities that will work that area, unlike how Active has huge lists. But you can string together the different activities. So you can select the abs one and then another one and it'll add those two together and tell you about how long it'll take to get through. Pretty sweet.

There is a website dedicated to Wii Fit routines, so I might go there and use that as a guide for building my own set list. I'm not sure if you can save your routine list, but I hope you can, that would be a slight bummer if you couldn't.

For 20 bucks I feel like this is a really good buy. I love me some Wii Fit, so anything to improve that experience is okay by me. It blows that the bundle package (which replaces the original completely) is now 100 dollars instead of 90... I guess their logic is that since the new game has so much more that they can get away with it, but it's bullshit.

Played some Plus tonight and it's really cool. I tried out all the new exercises (only six of them) and enjoyed them. The one strength training one was really hard and I couldn't do it for the life of me.

The new mini games are cool from what I've played. They really stepped it up over the last batch of minis, these are almost in line with the minis in Resort minus the Stamps. I haven't tried them all, but the few I have were a lot of fun.

Skateboarding takes a bit of adjusting, but it's done well. You turn the board on its side and skate how you think you would. Pushing off the board even makes the character push and go faster (though it's really looking for you to dip down on your front leg while the other leg leaves the board). I had a good time skating around, doing tricks and jumping over shit.

Snowball fights are awesome. It's basically Time Crisis. You aim and fire your snowballs with the pointer, and you look around a wall by shifting side to side. I wish this mode had some on rails segments like Time Crisis, it's kind of a shame it doesn't. Actually, speaking of which, why HASN'T Namco done a Time Crisis Collection yet? Easy money.

The Platforming game/Obstacle course is kind of cool but a bit tricky. It wants you to run in place on the board, but it's tricky because it doesn't want you to stomp. So you kind of do this weird shuffle. It's cool sort of running through a First Person Mario type game (it looks like something out of Sunshine's crazy challenge rooms) but I wish it worked better.

Some games combine twisting the remote and using the board. The segway one has you leaning forward as if you were on a segway, and you turn by twisting the remote. It has you chasing these balloons that monty moles are pulling all over the place.

These new mini-games don't do much in the way of burning calories, but they're quite fun.

Oh and you can only save ONE routine. Plus the exercises it chooses for the routines are the lowest number of reps. So with push ups it's only going to give you 6 push ups. That kind of blows too... nor does it give you your score after each activity too. So while it's cool that it moves at a faster clip going from activity to activity, it leaves out certain features that usually go along with it. Bummer.

It won't have me putting away EA Active like I kind of wanted, but it's still lots of fun.

Phil I'm curious. When did the original Wii Fit come out? Cause it sounds to me like you've bought at least 3 Wii exercise games in about a year and a half. Aren't you the big criticizer of music games for having multiple releases per year? Cause it also sounds like these games are on the way to doing that.

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Yes, I have bought three in a year and a half... you got me.

BUT! I'm buying these because they keep me well... doing something! Had Wii Fit Plus not been 20 dollars I would not have bought it. Also, Wii Fit and EA Active are two very different games, despite having similar goals. Active is a bit more strict... it's sort of like an interactive exercise DVD, while Wii Fit is a bit more fun and like a traditional game.

That said, you're right, these games are on their way to being just like GH/RB. There is already a new EA Active game on the way, before the end of the year no less! I will NOT be buying that game. I've also avoided tons of other terrible workout games like Jillian Michaels (there are two of those now) and Gold's Gym... plus some I probably never even heard of. Oh, there's some shitty Yoga game from Sega, and a Jenny McCarthy one from Ubisoft. So yeah, these games are already out of hand.

However the one thing I can say to you is, have you lost close to 20 pounds playing Rock Band? I didn't think so.

If Wii put out Time Crisis using the wii fit pad as the peddle...I would shoot goo.

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You've lost 20 pounds solely from playing these games? I'm sorry but that is hard to believe. Also Playing Rock Band got me back into playing the real drum so I'd say they have had their benefit.

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Not solely playing them, dieting as well, which both games encourage you to do (EA Active more so).

Anyway you can't get me on this yet because I'm pretty much done with buying these types of games until there's something genuinely new or if I happen across one for really cheap one day. Meanwhile, the rest of the planet will continue to eat up Rock Band and GH.

Also Im glad that RB inspired you to going back to playing the drums, that is a good thing.

I've been bad. I haven't been eating right nor doing any sort of exercising over the last three weeks or so. I've been pretty busy and then with Thanksgiving and all it's been hard keeping up. I have gained weight back for sure, but I'm to scared to step on a scale right now. The last thing I want to see is all my hard work disappear the next time I stand on the balance board. It will be a sad day for sure.

I actually had some time last night but the laziness is getting the best of me and I didn't do it. It sucks too, because I've had more back pain than normal lately as well since i haven't been doing much to stay in shape. It's amazing how fast everything can fall apart.

Plus I've been drinking too much soda again and I'm always getting sleepy so that needs to stop.


Anyway, I will get back on my health kick soon. I have to!

I wrote this in 2009. Well EA Active 2 was "new enough" and it was cheap enough, so I dove back in.

I popped the PS3 version in tonight (I've been sitting on it for about two weeks but wanted to wait until vacation was over to dig in) and wow I got my ass kicked. I knew I was out of shape, but not THIS out of shape. I was thinking that all the additional stuff I've been doing around the house plus all the baby carrying was doing me some good. Well, not really I guess.

It's great that it's completely hands free (and it was cool finally using weights instead of the tension band and being able to progress) but the sensors are still spotty. Not spotty enough to ruin the whole experience, but enough to piss you off when they don't function right.

The game is still full of too many "run in place" exercises, and god I forgot how fucking brutal squats were, but I like all the new stuff. Been a while since I even played the original game. I still like Wii Fit's more casual and inviting approach more, but this thing knows how you make you work up a sweat quick.

i think Mom might pick up Wii Zumba HAAHHH (im serious).

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Swear to me.

Yeah she was telling me about her Zumba classes. It was in the Top 10 for the NPDs this month!

So I've been going strong with EA Active 2 since I made my post in here about it in June. Last night I officially wrapped up "phase 2" of the 9 week program. I'm actually a week behind because some weeks were busy and I wasn't able to do the four workouts a week like it wanted me to. I already have the 3 Week Kick Start program finished as well.

I didn't really think I was getting any better with exercising (like getting tired right away) but I must be, because the workouts have slowly gone from 20 minutes to 40 minutes. For someone so out of shape, that extra 20 minutes probably would have been impossible when I first started.

I lost about 10 pounds this summer thanks to the game and trying to curb my eating habits (not dieting, but just trying to eat better. I'll still eat some delicious ice cream if it's presented to me). I'm the lightest I've been in I don't know how long. I still weigh in with Wii Fit, and when I bought Wii Fit I was over 180 pounds, the heaviest I've ever been. I've very slowly lowered since then (and gained, but never that much) over the years, but now I'm under 160, at about 157 I think.

I was really hoping that this would help my back problems but they seem to feel the same as always. The doc gave me some steroid to use for the next two weeks, told me to sit on a cushion at work (I have one of those ones with the hole cut out of the back of the seat so your tail bone isnt crushed) and to continue exercising. Only been taking the steroid for a few days. Don't feel much of a difference, but I hope towards the end it works. I get the feeling it won't.

Anyway, I can fit back into my size 32 pants again which is awesome. What is not awesome is that I never thought I'd fit into them again and threw all but one pair of them out. My wife also gave me some compliments saying I was looking good lately, so that was cool.

It's not a perfect game, but for 30 dollars this game was a steal.

I've done the exact opposite. I was a slob all summer and I gained all the weight back that I lost at the beginning of the year.
I think I'm between 185-190 right now. My ideal weight is 170. I always set that as my goal and try to get close to it.
Years of going to the gym several days a week have burnt me out on it. I even considered quitting and just getting a few things for the house but everyone I know that does that ends up being too lazy to use it. I just recently burned those P90X DVDs and want to try that. Maybe that will re-juvenate me back into working out.

Mandy really wants to get a Wii exercise game because she never feels like going to the gym either.
You think she would enjoy EA Active 2? Does it just come with everything you need?
Looks like this one is only 20 bucks on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/EA-Sports-Active- ... 284&sr=8-1

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Haha wow, I just assumed you were still going to the gym a lot. I can see it getting old though. It's just hard to keep up with regular workouts. I heard P90X is good. I would have tried it myself but apparently you need a pull up bar for it, and I have nowhere in my house for a pull up bar so that leaves me out.

As for EA Active 2, yeah, that's a great price for it and it comes with everything. Thing was 100 bucks the day it released, so 20 is a steal. It comes with three sensors and a tension band. I never used the tension band though and just use 10 pound weights instead. The PS3 version is completely hands free which is why I got it, I heard you still need to use the remote and nunchuck for some of the exercises but not many of them. In the first Active you needed to use them for every exercise and it was a pain, so this is a big step up.

The sensors don't work perfect, she'll probably get frustrated when it doesn't read certain movements. I know I still do. I usually just end up going through the amount it wants me to do and then go into the menu and skip to the next exercise. But for the price, it's worth getting even if she only uses it a few times.

edit: Looks like to save money the Wii one only comes with two sensors, the remote acting as the third. Still, it's worth looking into I think.

I still go to the gym. But not as much and I never feel like it so I'm basically forcing myself.
I'll tell her you like this and see what she wants to do. Thanks.

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I love when skinny people complain about their weight. I weigh probably 285 right now. Before I started working retarded hours I had a personal trainer and I actually gained weight (hit about 296) cause I gain muscle and still eat poorly. Now I go and lift without the training so I'll probably go up again.

Sometimes I think being big sucks but I feel like if I tried to lose it all I would feel uncomfortable in my own skin.

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You should probably try. You're not even old and it's only going to cause you problems the older you get. It's also going to be harder to lose the weight. If you don't want your life to be plagued with health problems, you should really try to lose all that weight. But I'm sure you already know all of this. Oh, can you can definitely fit 2 of me into yourself. Think about THAT.

I haven't been to the gym since I started looking for jobs back in May. It's been pretty bad. I actually just got myself a 24 hr fitness membership from Costco. I just need to go there and register. But I'm going to be home all this week to look after the baby so I don't have time to even go. I'll register next week. The only exercise I've been getting has been me going out a couple of times to play tennis. And that's after some hard persuading just so my wife lets me out. I can't stay inside all god damn day dammit. I'm so out of shape. The tennis definitely felt good. It just feels good running around again. But yet, I need to kick back into the gym thing immediately. I refuse to be typical parent who has kids and gets out of shape. I'm not getting too much fatter but I'm definitely losing my muscle mass which wasn't that much to begin with. I've actually gotten lighter the last time I weighed myself.

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"If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. "