Ever turned on one of those late-night infomercials to see an ad for losing weight using a game console? Well chances are you won’t but with results like that of 38 year old, Lara Roberts, Nintendo may want to do a little more promotion on the weight-reducing aspects of it’s console.
Before you rush your Ab Lounge, Bow Flex, Stair Climber, or other miscellaneous as-seen-on-tv gadget to the curb, she combined a daily1 hour WiiFit regime with a rigid dietary schedule.
“I’d have a cooked breakfast most days and cheese sandwiches and pizza for lunch,” Lara recalls.
“And I snacked constantly on biscuits and crisps and cakes and got through litres of fizzy drinks a day. Nothing could fill me up.”
But while this sounds like the textbook definition of “results may vary,” I find it believable. First, it took a full year of getting up at 5 a.m. to work out. That’s not a quick-fix miracle program. Second, she recognized fully how her eating habits required a very disciplined change in behavior. And third, she was motivated by concern for her children and she had the support of her family. Shame or embarrassment are powerful feelings, but they can’t motivate you without a support network, you’ll just give in to defeatism. I also buy the fact Wii Fit appealed to her because it allowed her to work out in private.
The benefits? Lara’s become quite the cougar. She says her daughter’s male friends have eyes for her, and an appearance on BBC 3’s “I’m Hotter Than My Daughter” backs it up.
“I’ve become a real exhibitionist,” she laughs. “And the best thing is the improvement in my sex life.
“As far as I’m concerned the Wii Fit saved my life.”
