World of Warcraft ruined my life!

Fit4_Life

World of Warcraft did nothing - YOU did it.
We all did in one way or another.

If not that, then it would have been something else. So, now you are the author of the next chapter of your life.
And it's time to write out something wonderful.

You can do this!

All Is Possible.

I agree with "world of Warcraft did nothing YOU did it." Well said! Yes, my fiance and I were addicts to WOW. Now we have Skyrim. We are more in control.
Its all about control...

Chrisborro

 i miss my WoW

rosalee87

I play WoW....well not ATM 'cus I was taking a minimester in college so didn't wanna ruin that lol

yes...WoW can ruin lives...lol

JaymeLS

Me and my husband have played MMO's for about 10 years, practically the whole time we have been married. In that time I have gained almost 100 lbs. I had a heart attack back in April of this year. While i was in the hospital my husband brought his laptop with him to play WOW. I haven't played a game since and I have lost about 30 lbs. They just don't interest me. He still plays games but doesn't play WOW anymore.

cthoma70

I play it to. I started over 4 years ago anI got to 302 pounds last Jan. I slowed down playing In April and in June I started my diet, I was 275 pounds. I still play but I get my exercise in first. If I dont get the exercise in I dont play. I weight this morning at 184, I hit the gym 3 days in a roll with one day of rest when 2 days with a day of rest. Wow comes after that. Just workout before you play. If my computer was powered from a treadmill, I would have been 120 pounds 3 years ago lol.

Just make sure your exercise is in first and dont eat at the computer and you should be ok.

Sporttster

I'm a 80's guy so I know all about gaming,lol. Heck I started right after getting my two paper routes done, then RIGHT to the corner arcade to play Galaga, Pac Man, Dig Dug and all that. Been addicted to gaming most of my life, from consoles like Intellivision and NES and the Genesis all the way through but now I'm gettin older,'hitting the wall' so to speak,lol. At 47 I've slowed down considerably. I, too was into WoW. (Hunter and a Healer, Alliance and was even a Twink at one time, doing the PVP stuff which to me was REEEALLY addicting until they nerfed that to hades ) I did EQ2 before that. But now the kids are gettin' older and we're doing alot more together. Just got my son a slot car race set, we both love playing it. Had to show him the 'good stuff' from my childhood, heh. Got most of my weight gain from just stuffing the pie hole too much. Only 25 over though so I don't have far to go to get back to where I wanna be. Lookin' in the mirror, WOW...those cheeks are puffy! lol....time to cut the cals. The holidays really did me in....

kwest_4_fitness

Hmmm... my husband just started playing WoW... should I be concerned?? Seems like there's a few out there that say the game ruined their marriage and/or their life. What's up with that? Does WoW suck you in so much that you lose passion for your spouse or the ability to turn off the computer and communicate?? Does it brainwash people into getting divorces?? Geez... I might need to throw this game in the trash while hubby's at work!! :noway:

If you play, it may just be something you guys enjoy together. I know my husband and I loved it!

BarbiNay

Christy online gaming did the same to me. Along with making me anti social, lazy, unmotivated ect. It started with Star Wars Galaxies. I never played WOW due to being mad it pretty much was the end of Galaxies well that and Sony's stupidity didn't help matters. I went from SWG to other online games. Stayed from WOW because I saw how addicting it was and I did not need anything else to keep me away from my kids.

You can do this. Log your foods, take breaks to get exercise in and play WOW in moderation. Nothing new to you now there just new quests and zones but you will catch up in time to the others.

Awesome to see another girl gamer in the midst...welcome!

OMGLeigh

People may say "don't blame WoW" but the kind of online community that WoW forms is what can really drag people in. It isn't the game but it is the bonds players form to their guild mates.
I played a ton of WoW and it wasn't questing or leveling up that drew me in, it was being there for my friends and doing this activity together. Certainly not the healthiest group activity, but one that I had a lot of friends involved with.
I no longer play WoW, really any MMO these days, but I still play a lot of games. What helps me is not turning the computer on until later in the day. I find it harder to turn off. If I have it off then I am more inclined to do other things about the house. Whether that be exercising, cleaning, cooking, etc.

wannabesexymama

Hmmm... my husband just started playing WoW... should I be concerned?? Seems like there's a few out there that say the game ruined their marriage and/or their life. What's up with that? Does WoW suck you in so much that you lose passion for your spouse or the ability to turn off the computer and communicate?? Does it brainwash people into getting divorces??

It does suck you in being an avid WOW player but when it started taking a toll on my relationship I got him involved with it and now we play together we have made good friends all over the US it's no longer a problem for us we spend time together that way a lot and yes we talk and have lots of physical contact is about being invested in your relationship!! As for the main post Hun yes I suffer from gamers butt! I learned to only get on at night after eating and exercising!! I didn't eat a lot while on game but when I got hungry or realized I hadn't ate I would gorge myself... Here's to finding your nitch:drinker:

cradams23

I have never understood how a game ruined anyonesmarriage or made them gain weight. It's a game! That being said I have played WoW for only a cpl of years now since LK came out. Even though I love to play I do not find it hard to break away and leave if my wife wants to go out & do something fun. If she wants to go shopping then yes I would rather stay home & play lol. Plenty of time to get out & walk as well. WoW keeps me from aggravating my wife to death out of boredom so it has probably saved my marriage more than hurt it. lol Everyone needs thier space to get away to. Her's is shopping, mine is WoW. Here's to losing some more weight though on a steady diet which I was lacking.

chibi1234

I'm glad your on track now! Sometimes we need that harsh reality.

I'm addicted to xbox 360. I spend like 4-5 hours a day playing video games and now I just weighed in ( I work at a gym) And I have gained 8lbs since I stopped keeping track of exercise and dieting. it really does help.

Good luck to a fellow female gamer! ^_^

slimmerme2012

lol @ this thread. reminds me of the south park episode

haha love that episode!

BethanyMasters

I play WoW still do. I play slightly more casually than I used to but still raid. Went 6/7 Heroic in Firelands and I have my legendary staff.

Finally got a rogue to 85 so I'm kind of on a pvp kick right now. It's REALLY hard to make myself exercise instead of sitting on my computer to farm honor. Think I might try to get into the habit of doing at least an hour worth of workout before I'm allowed to log onto WoW.

But I've still lost about 75 lbs all together while still playing WoW but I don't really have much else going on in my life either. *depressing*

WoW can be a life sucker though. I don't think I would ever encourage anybody to start playing.

clover5

My son plays WOW all the time. It drives me nuts. I used to limit his time, but he's older now, good grades, stays out of trouble. He has PE and has to walk home from school, so weight isn't a problem..... yet. Do you gamers have any suggestions of how I could lure him away from his games now and then?

Cathleenr

Haha i love this, 2 lvl 85 druids, and a 85 DK, number 4 raiding guild on my server, raid leader, raid tank, raid healer, etc etc. Gave it up and now I'm addicted to things girls find impressive, turns out girls don't care more many tabbards and mounts you have.

265 bench
315 squat
405 dead-lift
5.11c rock climb
5.10a lead climb

hate to break it to you but most girls have no idea what those numbers mean (or heck what a deadlift even is) so that's not gonna get you very far with most of them. Try being rich instead. Very effective.

But I'm impressed if that helps.

um....i know what BOTH sets of numbers mean! AND know what a deadlift is.
the girls who are in the know are the ones who will help support him and do these things WITH him, not cause he has money.

Sporttster

Clover, I'd set a time limit. Tell him ya got 2 hours, then ya gotta hit something else. Or something along those lines. Set a timer, that's what we do with our kids. Timer goes off, time to move. Get him interested in other things. If he likes cars, go to a car show or get involved in that. Music...get in a band or join a Drum Corps if he's really dedicated or whatever. He has to have other likes, right?

OMGLeigh

If he is raiding then he has made a commitment to a group of people online. You could try getting him involved in something that also requires a commitment, like a sport or something with a goal, such as a marathon. That way he pencils in time for other activities.

MeechoXD

I played WoW for many years and back this last September I decided I had to quit once and for all (of course I had decided that several times before that and the longest time span away was a year while the others were up to a month or two). While in the end, lack of self-control is the reason for our weight problems..it isn't easy when it truly is an addiction. It wasn't "just a game" after a certain point. It was a job. It was more important than a job. It was my life. My characters were my life and I took a lot of pride in them. I was a huge PVP fanatic with BGs and Arenas and it took all of my time. After getting every class to 85 I had to do arenas with each one every week to get them all the best gear. I had to do as many battlegrounds with my new 85s to get PVP gear so I could do better in arenas and rated BGs (or BGs in general before rated existed).

My point is..it really can make you fat. You don't care as much about reality because the game feels like everything. At least it did for me. It is a slow process, but playing it enough everyday over a long period of time..it just does that. All of my self-esteem and self-worth was in my characters. I knew I was actually a pretty good player, which made it harder when I thought about quitting. I felt like I was losing something very important. Now, that was not true at all, but it is entirely how I felt.

I think certain people are more likely to end up with this kind of addiction, so unless you really have been there, you just don't understand how it can ruin someone's life or relationships. It ruined mine and I have been trying to figure out how I want to live my life without the game since i quit. I feel more exposed now since i actually have to find myself, but it wasn't as hard to quit as I thought and I am so happy I am not playing anymore (even with the temptations sometimes).

Edit: Also, I used to raid back in BC and Wrath and it required even more time than I was already putting in. Raiding also definitely sucks all time out of you, especially in more advanced raiding guilds. However, even after I quit raiding, I just spent all that extra time PVPing instead.

ljcatch22

*Raises hand* Me, me,me

I actually have been into very casual computer gameing my whole life, but my boyfriend got into WOW his senior year of college and got me interested too. I ended up playing for around a year and a half. Go Horde!

The previous poster wasn't kidding about the raiding being another job. Our guild had scheduled days to raid, with optional weekend runs, and if you wanted to earn any DKP and stay in the raid line-up, you did it. Luckily, I ended burning out around when WOTLK came out and seeing all of my once awesome end game gear bite the dust kind of pissed me off, so I quit for good.

Now my temptation is Star Wars. I'm in school so I pretty much cut myself off until summer, but if I could get away with it, I'd play all the time.


I don't know what you're height is, but I started off around 187 and am now down to about 179. If you need any support, friend me!
It's rare to meet other gamer girls who are into MMO's.

Theatrekat134

I love WoW! Actually just logged off. WoW is not the problem for me, but I can easily see how it can be. I wish you the best of luck on your journey! Feel free to friend me

PS: 85 Hunter (In Level 25 Guild)
42 Lock
20 Druid
16 Warrior (Love her....may be my next 85)

If you Still play WoW feel free to add me as well

ljcatch22

As for everyone saying they don't understand how a game ruined a relationship, you've obviously never been in a relationship with an addicted gamer. Even in people who have been gamers their whole life and never had problems, something about WOW and certain other games just pulls you in. It becomes your second social life. Trust me, before I saw people drop out of college and a friend consider divorce, I would have said bullcrap.

It doesn't happen to everyone who plays, but I honestly think its like alcoholics and drug addicts. Some people are just more susceptible. If you tend to obsess over a game until you finish it, you should never start playing an MMO.

cahtchme

I am a World of Warcraft addict...well slightly recovering addict. I pretty much quit for six months because of school. If I wouldn't have been playing WoW I would have found something else. My eating habits have always been atrocious for the most part. I just don't let myself snack and watch TV or play any more. It probably helps that when I do play, I won't commit to raiding because I want to do other things with my husband or walk my dogs or work on the house.

For the Horde!!!

Cahtch - lvl 85 Tauren Druid (Girls that tank, FTW!!!)
(...and a crap ton of alts)

You mentioned divorces, I have a distant cousin who's husband left her for some middle-aged WoW player several states over. I thought my relatives were going to shoot me when I mentioned I had played. (Before I knew that had happened to her). XD

ljcatch22

Clover, there's probably not a lot you can do right now. Especially if he is raiding. Trying to limit his time when he has good grades is going to probably backlash.

Either encourage other SOCIAL activities with set times like someone else mentioned, or let it go for now. If he's still keeping up on his grades, he's probably not that bad. We had a few people in college who failed out because they weren't able to stop playing WOW to go to class.

Trying to "lure" him to do other things is just going to piss him off. I used to get really irritated at my mom when I went home for break during college. She would try to get me to do other things like watch TV or go the mall. The problem was, it was the video game she had a problem with, not the time. If I was reading a book that much, or watching TV that much,or hanging out with friends that much, she never would have had a problem with it and I knew it.

Try to decide if you don't like it just because its not something you understand, or if its an actual problem. If he spent that time hanging out with friends, or another hobby, would that bother you? If not, why should this hobby?
I'm a huge introvert, so trying to tell me I should be doing social things would really bother me as well. I really dislike being social. It stresses me out and wears me down. There's nothing wrong with being an introvert, but there is a problem if its taking over your life.

clover5

Thanks for the feedback, and your personal experience Ljcatch. As to whether I'd be bothered if he spent that much time on another hobby or with friends, of course it depends on what or who. It's a Mom thing. I drank as a teen. I'd rather have him playing video games than follow that path. He was not an introvert before WOW, but he spends most of his time in his room now. As long as he keeps his grades up, and stays out of trouble, I guess I'll continue to let it go.

You're right though. If he spent that much time reading, it probably wouldn't bother me. So, when it comes to video games, I'm out of touch and totally uninterested.

alyssamiller77

OMG it's direct out of a South Park episode I just saw last week.

icewindfirex

I love WoW. A reward system for the game works perfect. I can only play during the week after the gym

nnylee

Skyrim, Sims 3, Left 4 Dead 2, Dragon Age II and II, Minecraft, Portal 1 and 2, Mass Effect II....they took up a lot of my time. Still do. But now I have learned to balance them out a bit better. I love my games.

nnylee

ARE YOU ME? LOVE THOSE GAMES.

Most definitely.

Current games:
Mass Effect 2 - 3 is coming out soon, so I'm playing again
Sims 3 - this has been my on and off thing since it came out in 2000
Skyrim - if you know what it is, I don't need to explain. If you don't know what it is, I can't explain.

But I think giving it up completely would be about as smart as giving up food completely. Gaming makes me happy. It's what my boyfriend and I do for fun. If things go as planned, it will provide us some income.

I think the answer, as it is with nearly everything else in life, is moderation and balance. Of course, it's hardest part.

Maybe we should have a group here to help encourage us to do some exercise or other physical activity before we head into that next dungeon, or cave, or next level? :laugh:

KarmaxKitty

Ar Tonelico Quoga, Dead Island, Golden Axe: Beast Rider, Heavenly Sword, Alice Madness Returns...recently started one of the FF games... God I love my playstation...

My guy plays WoW and LoL and GW RELIGIOUSLY. It's never really made an impact on his weight gain/loss. He loves being active, and he also loves to play his games. He's a gamer always will be. I think that there are some people who will have issues getting sucked in...but ultimately, someone who wants to lose weight/keep a relationship is going to have to make that effort. It's not necessarily about being lazy, just recognizing that there's other things to life. Now, weaning someone off of talking endlessly about their current game after you've gotten them away from it is a whole other issue. :laugh: