Mel B – Week 1 Update

Last Sunday when I started Get Fit with Mel B I was at 178 pounds. One week later the tale of the scales weights out at 175 pounds. I’m not sure how much of this is attributed to Mel B or the running; I think the three tacked on short runs last week were nice fat burning boosters. Either way, if Get Fit is close to being accurate, I can attribute 1606 calories over 8 days and across 9 workout sessions to Mel B. That is an average of 178 calories burned per session, which would otherwise turn into beer fat.

The good news is that I made it a week, and as I just mentioned, I can actually see (via the scales) some real progress. When I got up this morning I could actually feel some of my muscles burning, in a good way; especially my upper arms and shoulders. Mel B is asking me to work out long neglected muscles I didn’t even know I had in the first place.

I have to say that after a week, I am enjoying Get Fit enough that I am going to add in some arm and ankle weights, and I am even going to give step aerobics a go. I’m still not ready to spring for a fit ball or resistance band; maybe one day.

Pros – Wonderment and Joy
While I wouldn’t recommend Get Fit to Trophy whores, at least not the US version, it is cool to see a Trophy pop every now and again as I do the various routines. As silly as it sounds, the Trophies do provide some added motivation, but at the same time they can be a little frustrating (see camera + Move support below). I have actually picked up 22 bronze Trophies, good for 32% complete.

I really enjoy the combat workouts; mentioned the solid upper body burn feeling earlier. I also like the variety, but at some point, if I ever master the exercises, I could see the workouts getting a little stale.

Cons – The Not So Good Stuff
I really don’t like doing some of the exercises with a Move in my hand. Besides the fact that one of my Move controllers will get all sweaty, hot, and bothered, it is just not fun to hold the Move for a lot of the exercises.

At times the camera + Move do not track movement correctly. There are instances where I am 100% convinced that I am doing an exercise correctly, but Mel B rates me with a low rep count and a low score. The game does not rate me well at jumping jacks; seriously … not sure what gives with this one because I can in fact do jumping jacks. From the competitive standpoint (yes, Virginia, I do want those Trophies) this can be a little frustrating because it keeps an otherwise Gold medal performance from being rated as such.

While Get Fit does track some overall statistics, I wish your daily (plus daily, monthly, and yearly) history was tracked. I want more stats, graphs, and charts. Show me how I am doing day-over-day, and track my progress with each exercise (high, low, and average scores, along with calories burned). If this were added to the next version or DLC, I would buy it.

Day 4
Mel B presented me with a 30 minute dance workout. I started to switch up and do a custom exercise because I hate the dance stuff. I look like a drunken idiot flailing about; nothing graceful about my dance moves, but I digress.

I mentioned earlier that the camera + Move does not always track your movements correctly. In the case of dance exercises, this is a good thing because I can sort of, kind of, mimic the moves. If I had to precisely match the elegance and grace of Mel B, I would have to throw Get Fit on eBay.

My 30 minutes of dancing torture was good for ~174 calories. I would have told Mel B this workout was too easy, but she never asked. Bitch! I think you may only be prompted with the too easy, just right, and too hard options if your workout is rated higher than your last workout of the same type. Or maybe you have to do better than your best workout. Need to explore this further.

Day 5
30 minute fitness burned 200 calories. I followed the workout by doing a 15 min kickboxing workout, which was good for 100 calories. I even picked up a Trophy because I am at the 1000 calorie mark, which I suppose is good for a Christmas dinner. It would be cool if the game had a Miller Lite counter.

Day 6
Mel B gave me a 30 minute combat workout; I burned 190 some odd calories, which was good for my first gold Trophy (90% rating; in-game Gold Medal). This was by far my best workout; only reason I did not get rated in the upper 90% was because the camera + Move did not track two exercises correctly.

I followed up with a quick, but short 1.5 park run, which should be good for another 100 calories.

Day 7
Today’s suggested workout was another combat routine. Just for the heck of it (and because my arms felt like dead weight) I decided to switched goals – general fitness (healthy heart), and sports (general sports). I ended up doing an invigorating 30 minute cardio workout, which was good for 202 calories.

This was my second best workout; also another in-game Gold medal. I think the key (for the most part) for the camera and move picking movements correctly is to be in a naturally lit room; no overhead lights or table laps that are in direct view of the camera (i.e. indirect lighting).

I topped off with a 2 mile park run; slow burn, 9.5 minute miles

Day 8
Felling a little bit lazy, I decided to go with a 20 minute custom fitness workout, which burned 165 calories. I thought about adding a follow-up combat workout, but I think I will see if I have anything else in the tank for a short afternoon run.

Moving Forward …
As mentioned at the beginning, next week I am going to add some ankle and wrist weights. I know this will provide more resistance, so I am curious if it will also boost the calories burned per workout.

I am also going to look into add some step aerobics, which should give me some more variety.

If I can make it a solid second week, I should start closing in on 170 pounds, not to mention there is a Trophy (Driven) for showing the dedication to two solid weeks of exercising.

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4 thoughts on “Mel B – Week 1 Update”

  1. ok first off i dont like you anymore —-lol — you have gotten me intrested in this game. to start with im a pretty big guy – 5’10 and 215 lbs. and now currently unemployed – i have told my wife i need to start walking more before the lbs start adding up. to me i feel best right around 200. so looking for a game to help (regular exercise bores me). i thought about rebuying ea active – but by you sticking with this game shows me alot. So i think ill give it a whirl.

    p.s. i do still like you :oP

  2. Funny. You may want to wait another week or two and see if I actually stick with it! I did mentioned that I put in three short runs during that first week. I know for a fact that I lose lbs when I run … what if those first three pounds were all running?

    I doubt that is the case, but I know that running was an extra boost …

    I only have two concerns with the game. First, exercising with the Move is well, not all the great, but I guess I am use to it now. Second, how much longevity will this one hold – right now it is still sort of a novelty. I do intend to make it into week two. After that, who knows.

    I do intend to track down the developer and publisher. There is so much more they could do with this one to keep the casual fans happy, make it a stronger life/fitness game/program, and make us Trophy whores happy.

  3. the exercising with the move is a problem for all games. when i had EA active there was one exercise it would never pick up – so i made up my own move that it would. and about your dedication with this game — believe it or not more then 1 week is alot – i added a few people who had active to have workout buddies – i think the longest any1 i added kept with the game was 5 days- so you are already above all my friends for active

  4. Just completed Day 11. Besides being curious if this game can help me drop a few lbs and get fit, I would like to pick up a few more Trophies, so there is that going for me!

    This week should be interesting. Other than Sunday, I have not run, and I doubt I will until this weekend. And I have had more than my share of beer and chips. If I actually hold that will be really encouraging, but if I drop a pound or two, then I will be convinced that Mel B loves me!

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