Ranbir Kapoor’s fitness trainer decodes why your crash diet is no good, shares fat burning hacks

As they say, easy come, easy go — and the other way round too!

Shortcuts only lengthen the progress, and anybody who has been through the trenches when it comes to their fitness journey will say the same.

Ranbir Kapoor's personal trainer busts myths around fat loss and fads (Photos: X)

Crash diets which silently focus on low-key starvation as the fast track to a banging physique only scramble the inner workings of your body, widening the gap between you and your ‘pink of health’ era.

Ever wondered how your favourite actors can zap in and out of shape for their role requirements? Well because abs really are, made in the kitchen — meaning, looking your best on the outside has EVERYTHING to do with what’s going on inside.

Celebrity fitness coach Shivohaam Bhatt, who’s list of clients include names like Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Aamir Khan and Ram Charan, recently decoded the conundrum of fat loss through the lens of three widely spread myths.

Myth 1

Starving is NEVER the answer — and this is not some lofty statement about loving your body and giving it what it wants.

Shivohaam shares, "Most people think eating less and working out more is the key to fat loss. So they go into extreme calorie deficits. What actually happens? The body goes into survival mode. Instead of burning only fat, it begins breaking down muscle tissue to use as energy.

Losing muscle is the fastest way to slow down metabolism. Why? Because muscle is metabolically active tissue – it burns calories even at rest.

So when you starve yourself, yes, the scale drops—but your body becomes weaker, softer, and more prone to fat regain. Real fat loss isn’t about eating less—it’s about eating right to fuel performance and preserve muscle."

Myth 2

Weight training is as essential for fat loss as is cardio — one without the other halves in meaning as you approach your plateau.

Shivohaam elaborates, "Cardio burns calories. Weights change metabolism.

Cardio is useful—it burns calories while you’re doing it. But the moment you stop, the calorie burn stops too. Weight training is different. When you lift weights, you build muscle. Muscle boosts your resting metabolic rate, meaning your body burns more calories all day—even when you're sleeping.

If your goal is long-term fat loss and a lean physique, cardio alone will not get you there. Strength training builds your metabolism engine. Combine both—but prioritize lifting to change your body composition."

Myth 3

Expensive supplements << Discipline — nothing beats the minds commitment to a habit, good or bad, you choose.

He concludes, "Discipline is the best fat-loss supplement.

Discipline is powerful, but relying on motivation and willpower alone is a trap. Most people don’t struggle because they lack discipline—they struggle because they lack structure. The real fat-loss formula is built on systems: protein-rich nutrition, deep recovery (sleep), and consistency.

Supplements like fat burners, detox teas, and crash diets are temporary tricks that fail because they ignore fundamentals. Fat loss is biology, not motivation."

Are you guilty of internalising any of these myths?