This probably isn't the game for you then. It's not about losing being an alternate way to progression or a handout, but rather the mindset of just rolling with whatever happens, and in turn experiencing a diverse mix of outcomes and events in a given playthrough. It's a pretty deliberate and fundamental part of the design that I stand by. Again, I *am* interested in making an actual game - things like this are just as important to me as the kink themes.
As for player level, progression already happens through acquiring new cards and deckbuilding - in a way it's a more subdued and organic version of a levelling system. One thing I will note about opponents with starting fitness: it's not a special benefit opponents have - often it actually compensates for an advantage on the player's side: a larger Wgt range. That being said, there *are* plans to let the player gain starting fitness of their own.
Aside from Russell, there is one more event that raises max Wgt - funnily enough, it's tied to one of the losing branches.