My Health Coach: Manage Your Weight (Includes An Exclusive Pedometer) (Nintendo DS)

 

 

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I waited for 5 days after I got this game before I wrote my review so I was sure of all its components before I wrote the review. I don't want to dwell to much on negative points as other reviewers have mentioned the same but you may only read one review and its important. Firstly only one person can use this game as it can only store data for one person. Secondly its not developed for the UK market too many American terms , especially irritating when you are doing the quizzes and listing your food. Now for the positive, as a foot note I am totally into any gadgets to do with exercise, I have worn a pedometer for years, have a heart rate monitor and have also recently purchased a wii fit. I thought I knew everything thing there was to know on this subject, and I have scored high on the quizzes but have got questions wrong as well. What I really like so far it has identified my problem areas mainly that I don't eat a good balanced diet and subsequently has taken points off me for this (rightly so). I also like the fact it worked out my BMI first and told me I did not need to lose weight with a BMI of 22.5 which is totally correct but the wii fit constantly tells me I need to have a BMI of 22 to be truly fit which is rubbish! Overall this is a first class game even with its faults and as I have done some personal training I will be recommending it to some of my friends I think its got enough to motivate you and certaily a good aid for somebody who is trying to lose weight (you can track your progress with a graph) or do more exercise. If you like the brain train this is the game for you, in the same league.

This isn't really a game, it's more of a 'personal trainer' in your pocket. The little matchstick people are fun and very motivational, and for once they actually MAKE me want to get off my backside and do some exercise! :-)

Each day you are given four objectives in your Daily Sessions; these are to complete the required number of steps on your pedometer, to do at least one of the daily challenges, to do a certain amount of physical activity and to maintain a healthy food balance. Each one you achieve is ticked off the list and you are awarded 'distance' as your reward.

I do find the pedometer a bit unwieldy to wear all the time but it's very simple just to insert in into the DS and let the program record the steps. You can, however, use a different pedometer and just record the steps manually if you want.

Each day you enter the amount and type of food you've eaten by feeding the items to the matchstick person. Be aware, however, that this part is not terribly accurate, but is only meant to be a rough guide. For example, foods are limited and their calorie content is rounded up or down to the nearest 50 calories; also, you can only pick from standard portion sizes rather than entering the exact amount eaten. If you want to record your calorie consumption accurately then the program is no good, although it does let you have a basic idea of what you eat.

Likewise with the calories burnt through exercise; these are rounded up or down to the nearest 50 calories. I did find, also, that the metabolism they'd worked out for me was way too inaccurate.

All in all, My Health Coach is fun to use and very motivating, which is, after all, half the battle when trying to lose weight. Instead of saying "you have 30 pounds to lose!" which seems a massive task to achieve, it breaks it up into manageable targets; in this, my first month, it has given me a target of six pounds to lose which is far more attainable.

I will definitely continue to use it and see how I get on :-)

I read the reviews on Amazon before purchasing My Health Coach; thank you to the woman who wrote the detailed report, saying it was fun feeding the stick person and seeing it get fat after it had been fed what she ate, it made up my mind to buy it, as it sounded fun. A lot of these things are a big disappointment when you get them home but I am so impressed with this I have recommended it to friends.
What I like about this is its simplicity. The challenges are very do-able. My first one was to stand and sit ten times, and the second was to dance energetically to two songs.
I had read that the pedometer was unwieldy and that the reset button was inclined to be accidentally pressed and lose the data, but I haven't found it so. I was prepared to fish out my small pedometer, as you can use your own if you wish, but I like the DS acquiring my results and resetting the device. If you are worried about losing your score, you can input the steps whenever you want as long as you don't tick 'wrap the day' as that will close off that day's results. I like the countdown on 24 hour challenges as you can see how much time you've got left to complete them. It motivates me when there is a deadline. Best of all, it's unlike slimming clubs, which patronise us by having us clap the loss of so little as one pound(Harvey, on tv, says 'I could CRAP one pound!') and stay silent when those who didn't lose anything, or who(horror of horrors)gained weight, are mentioned. I don't like anything that makes people feel bad about themselves, even it is is by default. This device is nothing like a slimming club. It is totally private, and you are not competing with others but being privately coached to do a little more than you have been doing; making small changes, and not obsessing over food. I like the way it showed that the initial 500 steps you did with the pedometer took only five minutes (you could rack up 300-400 steps during an ad' break).
I like that it measures your progress in distance (rather than slimming club silver and gold stars) as it translates as 'See how far you have come'. If motivation wains you have only to look at how far you have come to want to have that stick figure walk more of your miles on screen. I like this product. It's well thought out. I hope they use it in schools as overweight children would enjoy the fun element of the stick figure doing what it does, and the challenges, but most of all, being in charge of their own health.
But more than that, I have adult daughters who are very weight conscious, thanks to the media; one of them worryingly underweight, and I felt relieved that it is not about calorie-counting or weight, but 'energy in/energy out' and it informs an underweight person why their body needs nourishment. Out of all the weight loss options I have tried, this is the one that impresses me most, because it's simple, it's encouraging, and it doesn't have you thinking about food all the time, but rather, the positive side of making changes; the challenges and the feel-good factor when after you've done them. You get back a sense of your own power. If you have been rebelling against people's attitude to your extra weight, as I have, this little coach is on your side.

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2.0 out of 5 stars Good idea, bad development
Bought it, was really excited while going through the extensive introduction until i got to the part where i was supposed to connect the pedometer to my DSI XL. Read more

Published 11 days ago by Sammy dos Santos

1.0 out of 5 stars no good for my console
This game was no good for my 3ds as it only fits the ds with the space for game boy cartridges,no good for ds lite neither. Read more

Published 16 days ago by maz

3.0 out of 5 stars Health Game
I bought this product as I am useless at getting my self motivated to loose weight. Since leaving work I knew I would be less active and wanted to get something to give me tips to... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Z. Shears

2.0 out of 5 stars Not up to much, but at least it's cheap
Not impressed with the navigation, once a selection is chosen you have to continue to the end, no cancellation or return options. Read more

Published 3 months ago by C Crawley

1.0 out of 5 stars Too high level
The concept is great, you should be able to track your fitness and food consumption and monitor progress. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Nicola

1.0 out of 5 stars WARNING! Not compatible with DSi XL
Sadly this game's pedometer does not fit into the DSi XL. It renders the software useless. The introduction locks up until the the pedometer is connected. Read more

Published 11 months ago by Farrah Whey

4.0 out of 5 stars My Health Coach
The game is easy to use and gets you really thinking about your daily food in take and activities. However, I am disappointed with the pedometer, it is bulky and within a week of... Read more

Published 11 months ago by Mrs A Joscelyne

5.0 out of 5 stars Great 'Game'
I love this game, it keeps me motivated and interested, there are great tips and challenges to do with both eating and exercising. Read more

Published 12 months ago by Jowalsh

1.0 out of 5 stars Let down by the pedometer
I never really got started with this programme as it is dependant on recording your average number of steps each day as recorded by the exclusive pedometer (included). Read more

Published 12 months ago by Mrs. L. B. Steel

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Suitable for Nintendo XL


PLEASE NOTE

Pedometer does not fit the Nintendo XL! You can't progress with the software without using the pedometer.

Not clear on the box!

Published 13 months ago by CosP

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