Jonathan mentions today that the Wii Fit has yielded some impressive results in our household, but not really in the manner it was designed for. Ever since I got it in January, it’s replaced my scales for near daily weigh-ins not only because it’s more accurate, but most importantly because it automatically keeps track of things graphically.

As you can see from the slight downward trend at the beginning of this graph, simply getting into the habit of keeping track of my weight with the Wii caused me to lose a few pounds without significantly altering my usual routine (regular gym exercise, eat whatever crap I want). Then in April, I built a healthy meal plan* for Jonathan who wanted to diet, and decided I might as well follow it myself. This coincided with a rush at work and therefore a stop to my regular exercise routine. So my routine became no gym exercise, but eat no crap… and I lost 10 pounds.

I believe the moral of this story isn’t “diet is more important than exercise”, as sticking to this diet-only, no-gym routine would inevitably lead to a weight rebound. Rather, this experience has confirmed for me that: 1) it’s possible to feel full and truly enjoy eating, while maintaining a textbook BMI of 22. 2) Mixing the routine up can really get you over your plateaus.

Now to start exercising again…

* More on the specific diet plan later.