Arnold Schwarzenegger (Image courtesy of @schwarzenegger on Instagram)

Great bodybuilding Arnold Schwarzenegger is aware of the challenges associated with weight loss and the importance of nutrition. Arnold Schwarzenegger discussed the difficulties of calorie-restricting diets and the reasons why a less stringent approach can produce greater results in a recent Arnold’s Pump Club Newsletter.

Almost everyone has set a new fitness objective for the coming year. Whether it’s increasing their protein intake or simply following a consistent food plan, our common goal is to feel and look our best by 2024.

And now for Arnold Schwarzenegger, who still provides priceless advise on diet and exercise on a number of platforms. This time, he cleared up some misconceptions about diets by using his newsletter. Although cutting calories is a popular weight loss strategy, Schwarzenegger explains why it may not always work.

It Is Difficult To Follow The Rules Schwarzenegger, Arnold Criticizes Diets That Restrict Calorie Intake and Encourages Less Strict Plans

Schwarzenegger said that individuals abandon diets because they are too rigorous and that losing weight is still possible with “a little more freedom.”

“When you start a diet, you’re told you must follow a strict set of rules to see results. At some point, the rules are hard to follow, you burn out, eat dessert, and everything unravels. But what if you could still lose weight with a little more freedom?

Research suggests that less strict diet plans are just as effective as plans requiring you to cut calories daily,” Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed.

Using a study to bolster his claim, Schwarzenegger said those who followed a relaxed eating diet versus a calorie-restricted diet saw the same weight loss progress. 

“Scientists compared what happens if you follow a reduced calorie diet every week or a plan where you stick to a plan for two weeks and then take a week with more relaxed eating.

Despite the break, the group with more freedom lost just as much weight and body fat and saw similar changes to their metabolic rate as the group that cut calories every day.”

Photo Credit: Arnold’s Pump Club Newsletter

In a separate study, Schwarzenegger revealed that people who took two-week diet breaks lost about ten more pounds than those who didn’t, though they followed a 30-week plan instead of a 16-week routine.

“This isn’t the first time diet breaks have proven effective. In a longer study, people who took two-week diet breaks every two weeks lost about ten more pounds, but that could be because the diet break group followed a plan for 30 weeks (compared to 16 weeks of the people following the no-break plan).

Above all else, if a diet is sustainable, Schwarzenegger underlined that people will follow it.

“And that might be the real benefit. Plans with more freedom help you stay consistent for longer without burnout and cravings. It’s not that diets don’t “work” — it’s that they don’t work in the long run for many people.

You won’t stick to a diet for very long if it is stressful, unsustainable, and takes away your enjoyment of food. Studies even support this idea, showing that dropout rates are higher for those with more rigid programs. On the other hand, you may have a better chance of long-term success if you locate a strategy with far greater flexibility or if you take regular pauses.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has shown a noticeable interest in maintaining his health during the last five years. Schwarzenegger believes that his 70% plant-based diet and cessation of heavy lifting have helped him decrease his cholesterol.

There are other well-known figures in the fitness industry who support more sustainable diet programs than Arnold Schwarzenegger. Nutritionist Stan Efferding, a former star in bodybuilding and powerlifting, stresses an idiosyncratic approach to eliminating unwanted body weight and says the greatest diets are always the ones that people will stick to.