A simple solution is to add weighted wristbands and ankle-weights. Valeo makes some good, cheap ones that are adjustable all the way up to 20 lbs.

Wow. Now at wal mart there are going to be "Wii diet" books next to the shelf with all the low carb snack bars.

It's the new fad diet! Watch out Atkins!

This kind of thing always happens. There are tons of commercials for "fat burning diet plans" and "super metabolism-boosting pills." then in tiny letters it says, "results not typical."
So this guy apparently lost a surprising amount of weight just by playing Wii Sports for 30 minutes a day. That's nice. Good for him.
When people try to use one example to establish a rule, that's when there's a problem. Maybe this guy did lose the weight just from Wii Sports, and maybe he didn't. Unless it can be proven to work for a significant amount of people, there's no reason to assume that it will work for you. Yet people will ride the fad bandwagon in the hopes that just maybe they've found the easy way out.
People just don't seem to understand that nothing is sure to work other than eating no more than what you are supposed to, and getting an adequate amount of exercise daily. It's because that's the old-fashioned natural way that requires hard work.
Yes, it does require hard work. But truly significant things happen when you put real effort into making them happen.

Forgive my rant. I just can't stand this whole fitness thing.

Even so, I think its a great system, if only to make you a bit more active. I've been doing 30-60 minutes of Wii Sports a day for the last couple weeks, and even if I haven't lost weight (I actually haven't been tracking it), it makes me feel a lot better physically. So I don't think people should get discouraged.

I thought it said "Will Wright loss not typical" instead of Wii Weight loss not typical". Hah!

Until there is a scientific study with a controlled environment, structure and a large pool of "typical" applicants from all ages and health types I'll take this with a grain 'o salt (actually I probably shouldn't actually take the salt).

Uh it isn't that hard to burn 750 calories a day (extra I mean).

To maintain body weight you're supposed to eat around 11 calories per pound. As long as you eat that much and have a regular workout routine (I do heavy lifting - takes about half an hour, not play video games) you'll lose weight.

If you're overweight you lose weight quickly at first because your body isn't used to the execise, but then your weight loss (and muscle gain) tapers off. When I went to college I gained an extra thirty pounds (to 219 at six foot two). It only took me four months to lose it, but most of that loss was the first six weeks.

While it may not be as much as happened for him its bound to do something. If you keep your diet the same and have 30minutes increased activity a day of course you will lose weight. I guess depending on how much effort you put into that 30mins would vary the amount.

My personal exercise routine is 45 minutes of Dance Dance Revolution a day. Actually, it's Step Mania for the PC, but it's the same thing. Even so, 45 minutes of Standard mode will do it for ya.

What Konami needs to do is get a DDR game for the Wii with a wireless white Wii pad (tounge twister!) and put in an optional goofy Samba de Amigo thing with the Wiimote like in Extreme 2.

Pretty much anyone who puts out an Aerobic, Aerobic Rhythm, or Therapeutic Exercise game will have a money printer on their hands.

(cue obligatory "IT PRINT'S MONEY!!!" pic)

I have included Wii Sports into my daily somewhat qualifies of exercise category.

The only other game in that is DDR. :]

I don't like going to the gym, so I try to find things that'll be somewhat active too~ I don't think Wii Sports is a weight loss thing, but it certainly is fun to wave my arms around like an idiot. Which I do. Shhh. I know, I shouldn't.

It always seems to me that after going from no exercise at all to a bunch all at once makes the first sign of weight loss seem huge, but it is completely unsustainable without changing several things at once, i.e. diet, beer, etc. So maybe he tapped into his body's previously unknown metabolic powers, but good luck keeping the weight off...

I get my Wii workout everyday by visiting several Wal Marts and Targets looking for one to purchase...

I also think that even though he may not have consciously changed anything else, subconsciously there may have been other changes in his lifestyle that come with exercising and what not. Subconsciously he wanted to lose that weight as it makes for a much better story. So maybe he did things like use the stairs instead of the elevator, drank some water instead of a soda. I know when I have done things like this in he past more changes follow that I don't consciously act on.

Or he could just be superhuman.

I enjoy my wiisports regimen, it in fact feels better for me than the absolute nothing that I'd been doing previously. But I have to admit, I'm beginning to feel that I'm too concerned about "beating" the game rather than doing what's best for the exercise.

It's a crucial problem wherein I would find myself flicking my wrist in tennis rather than doing the whole move. It's easier and in the game it's more successful in the game, but if I want the physical benefit I have to force myself to do the whole kit and kaboodle. I try to make up for the occasional lack of full motion exercise with the inclusion of embarrassing and thankfully private victory dances.

However, it still does break a sweat for me. And some of the games almost demand the full range of motion to get it going. The super active boxing and punching bag training are especially taxing. And to me, even this 30 minutes a day has proven better than nothing. And it's within less than a minute's access from where I do my work.

I thought about trying this. Then I realized, I already did. I played DDR on hard nonstop mode for one hour every other day. I was beat to a pulp and could barely walk afterwards. Needless to say I did start losing weight slowly. It was like a hardcore aerobics workout. However, this just doesn't seem possible with Wii. The amount of physical exertion from flailing your legs about is much higher than your arms.

We don't know what the guy's home life was. He might have been completely lazy before this. He might not eat that bad but just never got off the couch. I think leaving out what a normal day was kind of made the whole thing false. He might have added other exercise in with it, even if it was just more walking.

I think Nintendo should just make an aerobics game for Wii.

Man... the 'sweat' mode on Warioware WILL make you sweat. I'm a healthy young guy and that was the first Wii experience to actually make me sore the next day.

Maybe he has a tapeworm? Or he just has a high rate of metabolism or is pretty active and healthy to begin with? If you look at his pictures he isn't exactly your average couch potatoe.

I just wanted to say that I feel like Mickey DeLorenzo is ripping me off... The Wall Street Journal and Forbes have both done pieces on me, the wall street journal included other people, and Forbes exclusively interviewed me about my weightloss with the Wii. I lost nearly as much in the first 9 days of the wii being out, than Mickey DeLorenzo has in six weeks with the wii... and now HE has a book deal, being trumped as "becoming the next Jared of Subway fame" when Forbes called me "The Jared from Subway of Nintendo" on December 4th 2006... sure, he started his thing on the 3rd, but I did my interview with Forbes on November 28th.

The forbes interview can be found at http://www.forbes.com/video/?video=fvn/business/ms _wii120106

my personal website is http://www.ryanmercer.com

It's really amazing that he did this in such a short time. Good thing this story got a lot of media attention, it's a great way to lose weight and I'm sure this experiment will help many more people to lose weight on this fun way.

More info about losing weight with the Wii/Wii Sports

Weight loss via exercise is illusion in most cases, merely one aspect of positive preocupation, consciously and unconsciously influencing activity levels outside of the formal exercise program, and eating habits. It would be unreasonable to expect a person to isolate one factor when the goal is personal benefit. If 'wii' is the starting point and it inspires someone to live the lifestyle of a leaner person, much credit to 'wii', but if nothing else changes except the addition of a 'wii' program, then indeed, nothing else changes.