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Another weight loss video game to keep you accountable

First the Wii, now Nintendo DS.  Ubisoft, a Montreal-based video game developer has announced a new game (My Weight Loss Coach) for Nintendo DS that will allow users to chart their weight loss progress.  The idea is that a user can set goals for themselves, plug the goals into video-based charts, and keep themselves accountable to hitting their goals.  They can also set different challenges for the day, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and check off whether or not they were successful with completing the challenges.  One thing that I'm not to keen on is the fact that it doesn't show if you regress.  It sounds like the "game" is designed to only be positive, and because of this, it only charts when you lose weight, not when you gain weight.  My feeling is part of an accountability factor should be charting weight gain too.  That way, you can review what you've done over the past week or two and decide on areas that you need to improve on in order to get back on track with losing weight.  That's true accountability to me.   

If you remember my blog about pedometers and how great of an accountability tool they are, well guess what?  The game comes with a pedometer that you can plug your steps for the day into.

Another nifty concept with this game is that it can compare your walking progress to real-world adventures such as climbing Mt. Everest or walking the entire Great Wall of China!  The only draw back is since it's made by a Canadian company, everything is converted into kilometers, but who knows, maybe the version for U.S. users will be converted into miles?

The single user can also plug in all the food they've eaten for the day, and the game spits back information to help the user determine if they're where they need to be, as far as healthy eating. 

I'm not really seeing how this is much of a "video game", but it sounds like another great variation of an accountability tool for those that need that extra motivation and help with staying on track toward their fitness goals. 

The Wii Fit

Just when we thought the Wii was already cool enough, Nintendo goes and releases a new game called Wii Fit.  Wii Fit, which was released on April 25, features more than 40 different stretches, aerobic exercise, and yoga poses.  On top of that, it also includes a computerized "personal trainer" that helps you track your fitness progress.

The game is operated through a balance board that users stand on.  The balance board can detect the distribution of the user's weight, and through this, it's able to act as a controller for the game. 

Here's to hoping that this game can catch on for the video game junkie.  After playing the regular Nintendo Wii, it's good to see that you can have fun with video games while being active at the same time.  I remember back in college when Dance Dance Revolution was huge.  I remember getting together with friends and having tournaments to see who had the best moves.  We'd work up quite a sweat when we got going on that thing, and I imagine that this will do the same, except now, instead of just flailing our bodies around aimlessly, it sounds like there's a method to the madness.    

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