During the 2nd week of November (ha, you thought I was gonna say December, huh?) I filled out the comment section of this blog post in hopes of winning the up and coming new Wii Game from EA Sports – More Workouts. I was really excited about the new game and new challenge that was going to start the following week, but I wondered to myself, “could I go out and buy this game and commit to working out with it?” I knew that I could EVENTUALLY do it…gosh, I could ask for it for Christmas if nothing else, but I didn’t know if “this was the right time” for me to get started with it. I knew that during the first week of the challenge I would be in the middle of moving, not to mention THANKSGIVING!
But, I told myself, “If I were to win the game, well then I would HAVE to commit to it!”. The ladies had already said if you win you need to be prepared to write a guest post about the game. I decided I would just do my best IF I WON. I decided to write my comment and try my luck and I left it alone. The next day I got up and checked emails, a few favorite blogs (including this one), my bank account, Facebook, ya know just the basics.
When all of a sudden what should appear in my inbox? An email from Lisa telling me I won!!
I could hardly believe my luck. This was so exciting to me, but also very scary. Now I was committed!
I had to follow through, not get “too busy” and do the 6 week challenge. I was scared, but I was also really looking forward to yet another way to stay focused on this long journey I have been on for the past 9 months.
I replied back to Lisa with my mailing info and waited for the game to appear on my door step.from friendly Mr. UPS. Now I just had to pray it arrived “in time”. The challenge with the Sisterhood was starting just 3 days after the games release and just a few days before I MOVED. What if I moved before it arrived? What if the game arrived after the start of the Challenge? I started stressing about all kinds of stuff.
The 20th of November arrived and I hadn’t received my game yet, so I thought ok….well it will probably allow for “off days” I will just make them up. No problem, right? Wrong….I got sick with the FLU on Sunday, the 22nd. I felt like death warmed over – only I had the chills and 102.7 fever.
Oh, yeah I have to start moving our family the next day -the joys I experienced that week.
Anyway, I received my game on Monday afternoon and although I knew I probably should just leave it in the box I really wanted to give it a try. Christy had already prepped us and said we could adjust the levels from Low to Medium to High, so I knew that I had an out. I decided that I would just do the “low intensity” for a little bit until I started feeling better and got moved.
I did that first night and felt like I did ok with it. I was pretty much “toast” after doing it, but I was still running a fever and had spent the day moving some of our boxes to our new place. Who am I kidding? I was toast before I even started working out. My husband told me I was nuts! I admit I am, but I was determined to not fall too far behind. That night was challenging because there were several exercises I struggled with the remote on, and I was wasted to start with but I got through it. That was the last time I touched it till the following Monday.
Between the flu and the move I just didn’t have what it took to get the workouts done. I barely made it through the week, lol. I made it through the week and was feeling pretty good by Monday the 29th so I got back to the workouts. I decided I should go ahead and stay on the “low” setting since I was still getting tired early, and still trying to finish up with the move. I started working out with the game and discovered I had “missed” 3 workouts!
“Wow! How am I going to make that up?”, I wondered.
I didn’t worry about it too much, just kept working out. I really struggled with several of the exercises: like the SQUASH, those maddening lovely REVERSE CRUNCHES, and CURL-UPS. If it takes coordination I just couldn’t master it that first week. I finally managed to get through the workouts for that first week on the low intensity, but felt like I needed to kick it up to at least “medium”. I wasn’t sweating the way I knew I needed to and I was only burning about 100 calories a night. Not going to accomplish much weight loss with only burning 100 calories.
So the 2nd week of working out with the game I bumped it up to medium. This was better for me. I started sweating and my heart rate was up. I still struggled with “user error” on some of the games with the remote and nunchuck. During the medium setting they added “skipping” and the “girls and I” were not prepared for the impact of all that bouncing. I’m telling you right now, protect your “girls” or they will tell you about it the next day!
I also discovered that you have to hold those controllers “just right” or it’s not going to register that you did the exercises. That, to me was the most challenging part of working out during the beginning of the second week. Toward the end of the week I felt like I was rested and ready to bump it up again to “high”.
So, I worked out over the weekend and did it on high intensity. The weekends are supposed to be my “rest” days, but I wanted to try to catch up from when we first moved….even if it was only in my head. I worked out on Saturday and Sunday and did pretty well. I still struggle with squash, reverse crunches, curl-ups, and skipping – not to mention the fact that now I have to skip 120 times.
That’s a lot of bounce for me!!
But while I was working out over the weekend I discovered that if you work out on a “rest day” you can make up for missed days. I’m down to only 2 days behind now, whereas, I was missing 4 days. This is doable for me to make up. All I have to do is work out on the weekend and I’m caught up – Yeah!!
I have done 12 of the 24 scheduled workouts now. I’m feeling good about what I have accomplished with the game and I’m looking forward to finishing strong.
I love some of the new “More Workout” features; like the scrolling totals of how far I have come while doing the challenge. It logs how many miles I have run, how many calories I have burned, and all kinds of other accomplishments. The trainer encourages you, but sometimes gets annoying especially when you are doing the exercises “the right way” but you aren’t holding the remotes right.
To me the best improvement that they made with this game over the original Active is the added abdominal work. I complain about it every time I do them, but this is my weakest area and the one area on me that I need to work the most. This makes sure I do ab work every time I work out. I also LOVE that they incorporated the warm up and cool down segments.
Overall, the game has everything to keep me MOVING and LOSING all while having FUN….which will keep me going even when I don’t feel like it!
One last thing I want to say before ending my novel post…I would not be where I am today (down a little more than 37 pounds) without the Sisterhood. I am so glad that I found ya’ll. The support I get from everyone here keeps me going when I feel frustrated that the weight just isn’t coming off fast enough.
Thanks ladies…I love you all and can’t wait till I can get to meet some of you!
AnnG
http://ann-shesgonnablow.blogspot.com
PS- if you are participating in the More Workouts 6 Week Challenge, raise your hand and give us a shout-out. I know everyone is extra busy during the holidays and it’s very easy to nix the exercise, but stay strong and finish through with it. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.
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