Not a problem per se, just a question.

What amount of calories are people typically burning on the Island Biking in Free Ride mode? I can't seem to get above 140-143 over the 30 minutes, no matter how hard I work. Is it me? Or is it just a case of the Wii Fit being more of a mild workout as suggested in the Beginners Questions here?

It really isn't a huge workout. I'm small and I'm lucky if I get 75. Calorie burn is based on your weight so if you weigh more then you burn more. I'm trying to go the other way!

I'm not getting many calories either. I think that's one of the problems with a computerized, generic program like Wii fit. I'm sure that I burn more calories than it says--there's no way that it takes me 2 hours to burn 500 calories in my real life )

That's where I've decided that I need to excuse my OC tendencies and press on! The Wii fit probably is a fairly "mild" workout; still, as long as you push yourself physically that mild workout can turn one that presents effective and appropriate challenges

I think also that the point is that it is exercise and any is better than none. Last winter I was static for various reasons and this year since getting Wii fit plus I exercise everyday and though I may not have a six pack (who neds it at my age, no one looks at my speedos ) I feel better for it. You can increase the workout yourself simply by putting more effore into it i.e. pedal harder or faster or further) Just my thoughts

Oh, I'm not complaining and am getting a good workout in other ways. I have noticed big improvements in my balance and agility and overall I feel better (which is one of the most important goals for me). I was just curious what others' experiences were with it.

Thanks for the comments, everyone.

Oh, I could believe that about me. Last year when I was going to the gym, I was typically burning between 180-200 on a 30 minute bike ride or on the treadmill. Of course you really can't tell for sure from a machine, especially one that doesn't factor in your weight. I would love to be able to burn 500 in 30 minutes. I could make some headway then...

Indeed.

I think many people's problems with fitness come from not realising just how efficient the human body is. We really don't burn many calories. My current calorie intake is about 1700 a day, and i'm only losing weight slowly.

It's why you can't lose weight just by exercising more, as it's really hard to burn significant amounts of calories by exercising unless you have a lot of time spare, or do a physically demanding job.

You'd be surprised how few calories daily living really requires. Most of us have hugely inflated ideas about what we burn off.

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

This site gives you activities and you put in your weight and it estimates the calorie burn. For me a 1/2 hr of leisure cycling is only 107 calories and riding a real bike is harder than stepping on a balance board.

A lot depends on what you weigh and your age. The site listed above shows that I burn a lot more calories than I think I do, but I'm 58 and am 90 pounds overweight. Being female doesn't help. My sons and husband can lose 4-6 pounds in two days whenever they feel like it.
I ordered a HRM/calorie calculator. I think I really need one. I'll always lose 4-6 pounds and the loss stops there....period. It's been that way for years. If I can play the numbers game, maybe I can finally beat this thing. I remind myself that I put on muscle easily, much to my chagrin scalewise.

runnon,

You sound just like me! I am 57 , 75 lbs overweight, and female with a thyroid problem. My metabolism is slow!

I bought a heart rate monitor last October and I wear it every day. I also keep a little daily log of my weight, calories in and calories burned. It really helps me stay on task.

I highly recommend a heart rate monitor to anyone who has a lot of weight to lose.

cd1