When Huang Chong saw the new system notification, he couldn't help but be taken aback.
'Set ideal body weight value?'
'What does this mean?'
'Does this mean the system can let me skip the painful process of losing weight and just give me my target body weight?'
In his past life, he'd successfully lost weight before, so he had plenty of experience. He knew that the key to weight loss was strictly controlling the deficit between daily calorie intake and expenditure.
That process was no fun at all.
After all, an adult male naturally burns about 2,000 calories a day. To achieve significant weight loss, you can only consume around 800 to 1,000 calories daily.
And those calories had to be split into three meals, meaning only two or three hundred calories per meal. That basically ruled out any high-sugar, high-fat, or high-calorie foods like alcohol.
That's why the food he'd just bought at the supermarket was all extremely low-calorie but high in water content and very filling.
Without a second thought, he decisively stated his ideal weight in his mind:
'60KG!'
He had carefully considered this number. At his height of 178cm, 60kg would make him look skinny as a rail. But for a GC climber, you had to get your weight down to that level to maximize your Power-to-Weight Ratio.
His current power was 170W. If he successfully lost fat down to 60KG, his Power-to-Weight Ratio (W/KG) could instantly reach 2.83.
That number was still a far cry from a Professional Cyclist's, but it would be enough for him to average around 30 km/h on solo rides. It would let him shed the "newbie" label and finally join the ranks of amateur enthusiasts.
Road Cyclists are completely different from mountain bikers or even sprinters. Road Cyclists primarily focus on mountain climbs, battling against gravity. The lighter you are and the more strictly you control your body fat percentage, the faster you can climb.
[You have set your ideal body weight to: 60KG. A phased mission has been unlocked.]
[During the upcoming fat-loss process, you will be rewarded with 5 Basic Optimization Value points and 1 Fat-Burning and Muscle-Preserving Pill for every 5KG of fat you successfully lose. This is divided into three stages.]
[Fat-Burning and Muscle-Preserving Pills: When taken during exercise while losing fat, this supplement accelerates the fat-burning effect to reduce body fat percentage, while also preserving existing muscle and enhancing muscle strength.]
...
After reading all the system notifications, Huang Chong felt a surge of elation. While it wasn't the "instant fix" he had imagined, he was thrilled to see the new pill and understand its effects.
The reason was simple: when people lose fat normally, they inevitably lose some of their existing muscle mass along with it.
So after losing excess fat, many people have to start building muscle again to regain strength. This means supplementing with high-quality protein from sources like beef, nuts, protein powder, and skim milk.
But with these Fat-Burning and Muscle-Preserving Pills, he could skip that tedious process of cutting fat only to bulk up again.
Not only could he preserve his existing muscle while cutting fat, but he could even strengthen it. In a way, it was a watered-down version of an instant fix.
"Tsk, tsk. I'm really curious, Old Huang. Eating like a sheep grazing on grass every day... how long can you actually keep that up?"
Dewey hadn't gone to the night market, but he'd still bought a pile of pre-packaged braised snacks from the supermarket. Now, he was enjoying them with a Budweiser, unable to resist teasing Huang Chong again.
As far as he was concerned, he had no intention of managing his figure.
'What's the point of living if you can't eat and drink well? Do what you want. Why suffer just to become a Professional Cyclist?'
Hearing this, Huang Chong glared at Dewey irritably.
The guy had a great personality, but he also had a wicked, mischievous streak.
For example, knowing full well that Huang Chong was on a diet, Dewey would deliberately eat and drink all sorts of tempting things right in front of him just to see if he could resist.
But that's how true friendship between men worked. They'd genuinely help you when you were in trouble, but they'd never pass up a chance to mess with you for fun.
"Old Du, if you think this little temptation is enough to make me break, then you're underestimating my determination to become a Professional Cyclist."
Huang Chong chuckled, quickly finished his diet meal, and then went to wash up and prepare for bed.
'The best way to resist good food is to avoid it entirely.'
Before falling asleep, however, he lay in bed and took stock of his body's condition, especially his thighs. After taking the Basic Training Recovery Energy Gel, it felt as if he hadn't exercised at all that day. There wasn't even a hint of fatigue from lactic acid buildup. This gave him a better understanding of the supplementary aids the system provided.
'I have to admit, life with a cheat system really is different.'
'I wonder how much of a boost my cardiopulmonary function will get after I take this Heart and Lung Strengthening Pill?'
Huang Chong retrieved a grayish-brown pill with a strong medicinal smell from his inventory. He had no intention of squirreling away the system's rewards or being hesitant to use them.
After all, he was just starting out in cycling. Rapidly improving his abilities was his top priority; he couldn't afford any delays.
To become a Professional Cyclist, even just to join a domestic Intercontinental Team, his Power-to-Weight Ratio would need to be at least 5.0.
At his ideal weight, his FTP would need to be at least 300W. He was still a long way from that and had no time to waste on a slow grind.
Without a second word, he swallowed the pill in one gulp, then closed his eyes and went to sleep.
As someone on a strict diet, he couldn't afford to wait for the pill to take effect and feel the changes. If he lay in bed playing on his phone for too long, the hunger pangs would start.
Waking up in the middle of the night, too hungry to sleep, would be a disaster.
So, he slept soundly until morning. It was only after waking up the next day that he carefully assessed the changes in his cardiopulmonary function. He found no discomfort or anything unusual.
In fact, taking a deep breath felt much easier and smoother than before, and his heartbeat felt exceptionally strong and vigorous.
He knew that the so-called Heart and Lung Strengthening Pill had imperceptibly enhanced his cardiopulmonary function as he slept.
However, Huang Chong didn't truly feel the concrete changes to his cardiopulmonary function until after a busy day at work. He went out to train on his 9th-generation TCR, which now had a new wheelset. As he watched his real-time heart rate and power on the system's bike computer, he finally grasped the true power of the system's supplements.
The day before, his heart rate had quickly shot up to 170+ bpm while riding at an average of 25 km/h. But today, while cruising at the same speed, his heart rate had dropped significantly. It was incredibly stable, hovering consistently between 130 and 140 bpm.
This heart rate was, without a doubt, his Zone 2 aerobic range—the perfect zone for long-distance endurance training.
'This pill is fucking incredible! With the system's backing, I've basically skipped at least two months of long-distance endurance training—the part that takes you from total newbie to competent beginner. This is just insane!'
Today, Huang Chong was kitted out in standard clipless shoes and a cycling jersey. As he flew along the bike path by himself, he was in high spirits.
He had thought that even with the system, it would take him at least a week to break through the beginner's plateau.
But he never expected that a single pill, taken before one night's sleep, could improve his cardiopulmonary function by leaps and bounds.
This was truly beyond his wildest expectations!