• For years, Karl Helwig’s diet got in the way of being as lean and fit as he’d like.
• After returning home permanently, he committed to a healthier diet and changed up his workout routine, which helped accelerate his weight loss.
• Now 25 pounds lighter, he’s attained the lean and muscular physique he desired.
Coming back to the United States was what did it to Karl Helwig. The 28 year-old clerical worker from a small town in the High Desert of California had been living abroad, only returning to the US every other year. But when he did, he’d pack in the food. “When I would come back I would gain up to 25 pounds in a 4 to 5 week period,” he says. It didn’t matter that he was still hitting the gym and staying active; when he returned to China, he couldn’t drop the weight. “The biggest issue was that I was trying to fit years of food into a few weeks.”
That cycle went on for about six years. At 26, Helwig was 5’8” and weighed 210 pounds. “I felt awful if I’m honest,” he says. He played sports, including soccer and rugby, and had been going to the gym since he was 14. He knew what it felt like to be fit. “I’m used to being athletic and all around physically capable,” he says. “Unfortunately I only noticed how bad it got once I was away from it.”
Returning to the US for good helped him recognize how his diet had been undermining him. All the foods he’d indulged in when they were tantalizingly out of reach were now easily within his grasp—and he realized he didn’t want them. He also came back with a changed palate. “Before China I don’t think I ever touched vegetables,” he says. “Now I eat much more vegetables and try to avoid my beloved sugar. I try to keep my workouts and diet as simple as possible.”
Along with changing his diet, Helwig also changed the focus of his workouts. He’d been working on getting bigger and stronger for the rugby field, but back in the US, he wasn’t playing anymore. “I realized that I could be a bit more vain and focus solely on looking better,” he says. He settled in for a slow burn, careful not to overdo the cardio. “I’ve always preferred a classic gym workout, five-day splits with focus on specific body parts,” he says.
Karl Helwig
It took him about 15 months to get where he is now, at 5’8” and 180 pounds. “I feel good physically and I think it’s fair to be proud, but I’m also unsatisfied,” he says. The more progress he makes, the more potential he sees for improvement. “I don’t see an end in sight. It’s exciting in some way.”
When it comes to staying motivated, he’s not afraid of vanity and competition. Being the best version of yourself is one thing, but outside motivation—even if it’s unwitting—can push you farther. “I use others as landmarks, stepping stones if you will,” he says. “The competition happens in my head without the need for willing competitors.” And that mindset keeps him striving.
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