It will be freezing here tomorrow night in South Carolina with a possibility for a mix of ice and sleet. If you’re not from around these parts, you should know how big of a deal wintry precipitation is in southern states. An 1/8th of an inch of snow in South Carolina shuts down local governments, schools, and all public services. People flock to grocery stores to take bread and milk off of shelves. Even that disgusting wheat bread.
My wife and I already made dinner plans at home tomorrow night and I’ve been thinking of ways to stay home from the gym and burn those calories instead around the house. They include:
Wii Fit Plus – My wife got a Wii Fit Plus for Christmas and we love it. We haven’t had a lot of time to explore everything on the “game” (if you can call it that) yet but we’ll definitely get a chance Friday night. On Wii Fit Plus you can ski, hula hoop, practice yoga, bounce penguins, race against friends and countless more all by moving your legs, hips, etc.
Cleaning – I don’t mind cleaning, especially “deep cleaning” as my mother calls it. It’s therapeutic to clean, mop, vacuum, rearrange rooms, retire old junk to the attic, etc. I like having surroundings that are clean, fresh, and constantly updated. And yes, I’m fully aware I might have just lost my man card with these last few sentences. Thanks for asking.
Good ole’ love makin’ - Moving right along.
Dancing – You should be able to tell from my constantly updated workout playlists that I’m a huge fan of music. I’ve never had one workout without my iPod (not to be confused with iPad) and I can’t be in a car by myself without singing along to the radio/CD. At home I like to turn on the music just loud enough to enjoy it, but low enough not to silence conversation, and just dance. It’s good entertainment for my wife and daughter.
Laughing – A study (yes, I actually read a study) a few years ago said that 10-15 minutes of laughter burned 10-40 calories a day. You can’t exactly cancel your gym membership and start watching old George Carlin tapes all day, but it’s all about the small choices in life.
I’m excited about staying home tomorrow night and burning calories in the process. We’ve got our milk, bread, and the heater is on 72. My wife and I will play some Wii, watch Groundhog Day for the hundredth time and go to sleep early. I’ll try to get back some of the rest I lost throughout the week.
I’ll be back on Saturday with something a little… different. In the meantime, though, how do you burn calories around the house?
{ 51 comments… read them below or add one }
Wait. You had a man card? Betcha I can guess which one of these you’ll be doing the most of this weekend. But…moving right along…
Ouch, that hurts. It cuts deep.
I love my wii fit…I have the Wii Active 30 day challenge by EA sports. I use that instead of a gym membership. I also use The Biggest Loser Cardio Max DVD. Chasing my toddler around the house is my all day calorie burn!
A gym membership certainly isn’t a necessity to lose weight. You really can lose weight just by watching what you eat and moving around, even by playing video games!
Oh, and I know what you mean by burning calories chasing your toddler around — my daughter is 10 months now and she’s FAST.
I don’t know if anyone’s done an actual study on it, but I’m pretty sure that chasing my 2 year old son around the house burns a decent number of extra calories!
It always makes me laugh seeing how just a tiny bit of snow can totally shut things down in the south. I’m up in Alaska, and we can get feet of snow overnight, and schools and offices are all still all open the next day. Usually only if we get freezing rain do things start to close down.
The weather is such a big deal all over the news, the water cooler, etc around here. Just a little bit of snow or sleet and it seems like we all start planning for the apocalypse.
Hey, I grew up in SC and it is funny how just a little bit of snow shuts down everything! I laugh about it now because I have lived in Iowa and MO now for over 12 years and we get a lot more snow than SC. We still have to go to work and go to school too :( Oh well. I love the snow, when I lived in SC we used to go chase snow. Where ever the closest snow fall was going to be, we would drive there just to play in it.
Good Luck with you weight loss.
Gail
I love it – there are a lot of creative ways to exercise in the home – one of the main ones i do is stairs – i used to avoid going in the basement until i had a pile of stuff needing to go down – now i use any excuse to take the stairs – 15 of them to be exact
No basement here! But you’re right, in our old house we had a loft with a set of stairs… sometimes I’d go up and down them while our (now grown) puppy chased me. Good times.
I need an explanation on the third one….haha.
I always found the boxing in Wii Sports made me more physically active than anything in wii fit, especially when you get to the last levels and your opponents move around like hell on wheels. There’s also another boxing game called punch-out, if you combine this with the balance board it contains a lot of movement and its quite an aggressive game by the later stages.
Just a couple of idea’s when it comes to video games.
Personally I have an exercise bike, a stepper and a few flights of stairs in my building which I run up and down on for a good while. I also do the basic push-up, pulls-up, sit-ups etc… for funsies but I doubt that burns calories.
The boxing in Wii Sports is extremely intense, especially if you get really into it. We live in a house and unfortunately, with a baby and an office, we don’t have enough room for any exercise equipment.
I don’t know about you, but after 30-40 seconds of love makin’ I’m done…LOL
Man, too much info. :)
You guys are wimps down there in SC. In Minnesota here I have snow drifts of 6 feet in the driveway. I still make it to the gym! The Wii fit sure sounds fun though.
Tom
http://www.ihategreenapples.com
Snow drifts? Pft, I don’t even know your silly winter terminology.
I love Groundhog Day. I could watch it over and over again. Which is fitting because the movie is about a day that keeps getting repeated over and over again.
Wii Fit Plus sounds fun. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. We got EA Active for the Wii and my wife loves it. Every time she uses it, she works up a good sweat.
Good luck with your night in. Don’t have too much fun.
I like Groundhog Day and any movie with Bill Murray for that matter quickly becomes a favorite. He’s a funny guy.
I’m hoping that the snow we have here keeps the gym empty. The January influx of new members is still in full swing. I love that it means the gym will be more likely to stay open (5 minutes from my house and 24×7), but a bottleneck develops at the ellipticals and the freeweights at certain times.
I don’t mind the January influx — I encourage it. I just wish MORE people stayed in the gym, not less. You should say hey to one of the newbies and encourage them to stick around.
Now, if your gym is overselling (selling more memberships then they have room for), that’s another story…
January influx is fine…they have to sign a contract, so the gym is going to get their money. I’m just looking forward to Feb when they have all given up :)
pushups while watching groundhog day???? turn 40 cals into 100! :-)
Well, I was thinking of FUN ways to burn calories at home. I could just run in place for three hours, sure :)
Ooo, totally agree with you on the deep cleaning. It can be a great workout if you treat it that way. I crank up the music and just go for it. And I ALWAYS feel better afterward when my house is sparkling clean.
Exactly. I feel better being clean. Don’t most people?
The Wii Fit Plus is great! I got one for Christmas, too, and it really is a more fun way to get in some cardio – though you have to be careful to keep up the pace to match what you’d get with exercise.
Yeah, have to keep that pace up. Sometimes it can become too casual (just like working out at the gym) and you can’t fall into that trap.
I absolutely hate dirty stuff so I get the cleaning- and it is therapeutic. There’s a sense of accomplishment when it’s done and it all looks nice. I get it.
I hate video games so much- otherwise I’d buy a Wii. It’s bitter cold outside today and I have stuff to do and I don’t think I’m going to make it to the gym and I’m doomed to a DVD. :(
You shouldn’t hate the Wii. Most folks I know who haven’t played video games in decades (namely in-laws) bought a Wii and can’t get enough of it. It’s hard to call something like the Wii Fit Plus that has a balance board a video game.
You should give it a shot!
Being a manager at a Gamestop yea, Wii Fit Plus is really fun :) AND IT HURTS!!!! jumped on played for 3 hours got up the next day and my abs were KILLING me.
-Ash
Shouldn’t you be working for those 3 hours? :)
Tyler, since it is apparent that no one is addressing the man-card issue, aside from questioning if you ever had one, I will attempt to give you the rundown we use.
1 offense – excused; barring some future wise cracks about said offense
2 offenses – man-card probation; during which time said man must try and reconcile his manhood by completing an overtly manly activity. Some examples include: wrestling a polar bear, wrestling a regular bear, purchasing a cold beer for any offended men in close proximity….side note: if you ever ran into Rosie O’Donnell and punched him square in the mouth, I think most men would wipe the slate clean instantaneously.
3 offenses – man-card revocation; only to be redeemed after a great feat of manliness, something along the lines of a Sylvester Stallone or Bruce Willis in many of their movies, or of course as we all know challenging Chuck Norris to fight regardless of the outcome. Or again side note from before….I’m just sayin o.O
Anywho, Tyler good call on #3, @Dan exercise will help you with endurance in many of life’s situations. If I have offended…actually if I offended someone by suggesting that someone punch Rosie O’Donnell please contact me, I have yet to meet someone who can endure him.
I’m glad this is my first offense. Otherwise, I might have to throw a German off the 30th floor of the Nakatomi tower out in Los Angeles.
Good for you if you know that movie reference.
It’s on a long list of must watch movies for any man.
“Happy trails, Hans.”
What’s so disgusting about wheat bread?
It’s wheat bread.
I am right there with you! I’m in MS and we’ve had some snow and ice and the town has SHUT DOWN~!
I love the wii fit plus! It’s not a “hard workout” but…how can I say this…it’s the only “fun” exercise I’ve ever done. Maybe b/c it’s not that hard…LOL. Watch for the obstacle course one…it’s SO FUN!!!
You really have innovate posts. Interesting, different and humane. LOL. I love your blog!
Negative temps this morning…gotta love it. Great cuddle weather. I know I am going to be cleaning and laughing for sure tonight!
We’re “snowed in” with the 3″ of snow we got in Lubbock TX as well!
We have been talking about a wii fit… the kids and I all need it!
today, playing in snow, laundry, cleaning and more laundry…Been trying to do the “20 min. shred” video a couple of times a week at least…
I love my wii!! I have the wii fit too…. “Santa” brought us wii resort sports this year and I’ve been really into the archery. Not a calorie killer by any means, but better than doing nothing.
I won’t comment on the man card or #3 LOL!
I try to make numerous trips up/down the stairs, vacuum (a lot) and when I watch TV sometimes I lay on the floor and do light weight lifting.
Went to the gym after work, and then came home and shoveled snow for an hour.
Best of both worlds.
Well, since I bought my first house, my garage is my home gym and where I burn the calories! Other then the things you have listed above that is. :)
My love my garage. :)
This post made me laugh. So I guess you burned 10 calories for me. Gracias!!
Tyler,
I love my Wii Fit Plus. Husband and are getting competive with the obstacle course! My kids too.
My son is 5 and he plays the Wii Fit every day. He says, “I need to do my exercises.” Today at the mall in the play area he was doing his yoga poses and some push ups.
Lovin reading your posts! Sorry I don’t always get time to reply.
~Amber~
Tyler, as someone who used to weigh 400 pounds and has kept off about 100 pounds (and still losing), I’ve fought with the same issues you have (though I admit, being 6′5″, my weight could be “hidden” easier than someone 6′ tall) gone through. But I have to say, the old school ways are something I’m going to give a go in the coming weeks.
My gym membership is up in a month and since they insist on not opening their doors earlier than 5:30AM and not really interested in renewing it anyway (or looking for a new place too), I’m going to turn to things people seem to have forgotten or put aside because they seems old-fashioned. I’m talking burpees, push-ups and pull-ups (well, once I am able to of course). With burpee’s, now you’re talking some fat-burning.
Try Wii Sports Resort. With or without some alcohol, its a great laugh and you can feel a bit of a burn in the arms.
Short of that, go play in the snow – what little you have of it. Take the dog (I think you have a dog) for a walk, take the kids out – assuming you have winter/fall clothes to keep you somewhat warm. I love playing the snow!
I recently bought some Zumba DVDs which are a ton of fun too!
Tyler,
I sent you an email a couple of weeks ago about my weight loss in 2009. I currently still stand at 111 pounds lost. In 2010, I plan to maintain my 2009 year end weight or below (180 pounds) with my new found lifestyle. Its been good so far. I am just north of you near Charlotte, NC. Thanks for the inspirational blogs. I am not out driving either because we received our first big wintry mix of the year. I thought I would walk to the gym (around 3 miles) and back (3 miles again). I think it is fun walking in the snow and ice and let’s face it, the traffic is very minimal due to the weather conditions. Something I also do at home is workout with a medicine ball. I received one for Christmas and it weighs 12 pounds. There are different sizes available at minimal cost especially if you buy used. There are also workouts available for the med ball on the internet. I can burn about 400 calories an hour according to my bodybugg. My heart rate averages in the high 120’s using the med ball. For some reason I find it enjoyable.
Thanks again, William
Tyler,
I just stumbled onto your blog and love it! You can thank cnn, I suppose :). I love fitness and sports as well as healthy eating, so this is a great website. I didn’t see anyone mention jump roping, so I’ll throw that out there. I don’t have any kind of video game system but I sure am thinking about it. I am pretty big into cycling, so in the winter I keep my road bike on a windtrainer. I also love to jog outside (even if I can only get out for 15 or 20 minutes), and I love playing with my dog outside. Getting him excited and burning off his energy gets my blood pumping. And my local YMCA is godsend. I can stick to my favorite machines, try new classes, or shoot hoops with my fiance. They also have an indoor pool I enjoy once in awhile. Anyway, thanks for such great reading!
I just wanted to say thank you for changing your life – it means so much to those who love you. When you wrote, “A life where I can see my daughter marry her high school sweetheart,” it really hit home because my dad has been obese for most of his life, and was diagnosed with cancer a year and a half ago. He most likely won’t be able to walk me down the aisle, and it breaks my heart. So thank you, and congratulations on all your hard work.
Hehehe. I’m from New England, we laugh at you people. It’s like watching a cat being tossed out in their first snow Every Time.
Hey, whats up? There is some really interesting stuff here. So I went from 250 pounds to 129 pounds year before last, and now I am back up to 175. I was just wondering if there are any tips to keep it off. Cause I only like certain foods, and most of them are not heatlhy. During my 4 month weight loss, I ate only turkey sandwiches on wheat bread, and ice water or diet coke. Then I was on a diet, where I only ate fat free ice cream and tuna, and both diets worked. but I just like Good tasting food. I have tried several kinds of weight loss pills, and I was just taking HCG, the supposed miracle weight loss, and it doesnt work either. So Anyway, other than staying active which is also a problem, considering I live in my car right now. What are some ways to Cheat the body into losing weight or keepin it off? Or is it impossible?