Finding balance is something we all strive for every day - balancing work, family, travel and social obligations sometimes seems impossible, especially with ever-shifting responsibilities and time constraints. Finding balance with exercise and healthy eating can also be a problem, something that struck me when I read a recent comment by one of our readers. She said, "...I have become this health fanatic that watches and worries about every little bit of nutritional info on food, vitamins, etc. I know its better for me healthwise to pay attention, but I really liked it (and myself) so much better when I just didn't care what I ate!"

I think we've all been there to some degree or another and part of the learning process sometimes involves going to extremes before finding a middle ground. A person who changes his diet may find himself completely avoiding anything considered 'bad' for fear of falling off the wagon. A person who starts exercising may be afraid to take any time off because she might not trust herself to start back after a break.

Finding that middle ground is part of the journey and one way we get there is to learn to banish all or nothing thinking. Finding the gray area and letting go of achieving the perfect body, the perfect diet and the perfect exercise program is something we all have to figure out.

How have you struggled to find balance? What's the secret to walking that fine line between being flexible, but not so flexible that you lack commitment? How do you commit without becoming overly rigid to the point where nothing but perfection is allowed? Leave a comment and tell us about your balancing act.

Amelia did something a lot of us do when we first start college - she gained the freshman 15...and more. In fact, she got up to 200 pounds and, as she put it, "my dorm room smelled like cheeseburgers, and frequently I slept from about 4 a.m. until 6 p.m." College is a stressful time for many of us, but it can also be a turning point. For the first time, you're on your own and making your own decisions. Unfortunately, like Amelia, too many of us make bad decisions as we practice being on our own.

But, Amelia managed to turn things around in her second year, saying, "that first year of living away from home made me realize that I had choices; I could change myself." She bought a bike and started riding to classes and cut out the junk food, eventually losing an amazing 68 pounds. (Read more about Amelia's story).

If you were a college student (or are one now), did you gain weight? How did you deal with it? Leave a comment to tell us about it and be sure to share your own weight loss success story, if you've got one.

Every few months or so, I get fed up with my workouts. This is quite common at this time of year, when the weather is cold and my workouts relocate indoors. Having a variety of choices is one way to bypass boredom, but sometimes you need something completely different to get you past a slump.

If you're getting bored with the same old thing, you might find these ideas helpful:

• Play Some Games: One thing I love about fitness games, like EA Sports Active, is that they give me an opportunity to have fun - something that is often missing from my running or strength training workouts. Some games can really get you working, like Punch-Out!!. For more ideas, check out our Nintendo Guide's 7 Best Workout Games.
• Sign Up for Something Crazy: One of my clients was so bored with her cardio workouts that she signed up for a daily 5:30 a.m. bootcamp class, something I couldn't have paid her to do previously. It was just what she needed to energize her routine. I've had other clients try bellydancing, ballroom dancing, karate and even a cardio striptease class. Trying something completely different can breathe life into a dull routine.
• Give to Others: Use your fitness for good by signing up for a charity race. You could even volunteer if you don't want to race - you'll find either choice rewarding and motivating.
• Get Back to Basics: Sometimes, going back to basics can remind you what exercise is all about - moving your body. Forget the fancy stuff and get down for some pushups or squat thrusts. Go outside and see if you can work up a sweat raking leaves or chasing a football with a friend. Do something simple and fun and you may just remember why you exercise in the first place.

What about you? What do you do when you get bored with your workouts? Leave a comment and tell us how you avoid exercise boredom.

Do you Wii? If so, you're not alone and, chances are, you use your Wii for workouts (wii-kouts?) and fitness and not just for games. At the beginning of this year, Wii Sports was touted as the most successful video game of all time and by June of this year, more than 20 million people bought Wii Fit. All this activity is great (and, of course, better than sitting around), but many people wonder: Just how effective is Wii Fit and what can you expect to accomplish?

I've talked to plenty of exercisers who've used Wii Fit and most agree - it's fun, it gets you moving, but it's a fairly mild workout that often falls short of being challenging. The American Council on Exercise agrees, having explored the efficacy of Wii Fit by recruiting 16 men and women, ages 20-24, to test things out. They focused on the most challenging activities including: Free Run, Island Run, Free Step, Advanced Step, Super Hula Hoops and Rhythm Boxing. The researchers monitored oxygen uptake (or VO2 Max), heart rate and rate of perceived exertion and found that:

• The Island Run and Free Run had the highest energy expenditures, burning about 5.5 calories per minute. While these activities got the blood moving, researchers found that these moves weren't sufficient enough to improve endurance as defined by the ACSM. When played for 30 minutes, participants burned about 165 calories.
• The Free Step, Advanced Step and the other activities studied burned about 3.3-3.8 calories per minute but, again, fell short of ACSM's fitness guidelines. When played for 30 minutes, participants burned about 99-114 calories.

Clearly, this study only involves a small group of people and a fairly narrow age group, so some people may indeed find Wii Fit to be challenging depending on their fitness level and situation. What Wii-xercisers do agree on is that Wii Fit is motivating. The interaction, the ability to track movements and the fun activities make it a favorite with a variety of populations. However, while Wii Fit is much better than being sedentary, you do need to more cardio and strength training if you want to meet the current exercise guidelines and manage your weight.

What do you think? Do you use Wii Fit and, if so, how effective do you think it is? Do you use it for exercise or do you do other activities to supplement it? Leave a comment and tell us what you think about Wii Fit.

Read the full ACE Wii study.

More Wii

• EA Sports Active for Wii
• Daisy Fuentes Pilates for Wii
• Jillian Michael's Fitness Ultimatum 2010
• Best Workout Games for Wii