People are scrambling to lose the "Quarantine 15" pounds they packed on during the pandemic, and retired body-builder Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of them. He says he says he's gained 10 pounds even though he's been riding his bike and training every day.

But in order to get into summer shape, the 73-year-old former politician has vowed to drop bread from his diet and get back to his 218-pound fighting weight.

According to Insider, Schwarzenegger, a Republican former governor of California, said in his latest update for his 21.6 million Instagram followers: "I've doubled down on my workouts and bike rides and cut out the bread this month. I still have five pounds to go, so I'm not there yet. But I am celebrating so far."

Tai Ibitoye, a registered dietitian with a Ph.D. in food and nutritional sciences, says that despite the hype, bread is not the diet demon, so you do not need to remove it from your diet to lose weight. You lose weight by cutting calories, not bread, she says.

The typical slice of bread has 80 to 100 calories, and many varieties contain lots of fiber to help keep you feel fuller, longer. Experts say it is not so much the bread that is the demise of a diet, but usually what you slather on top of each slice. And for some folks, bread is a challenge to limit, so if that's the case, it’s okay to drop it from your menu.

"You can technically cut any calorie-containing food to lose weight," said Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, a weight loss expert and physician who focuses on making lifestyle changes to ensure good health, according to Insider. "If bread is something Arnold feels he overindulges in and has a tough time controlling, then cutting it out may be helpful, but it's not magic."

Ibitoye adds that removing bread from your diet may not be sustainable in the long run.

"Bread contains important nutrients such as calcium, iron, B vitamins like niacin and thiamine which are needed for various bodily functions," she told Insider. "Brown bread does continue more fiber than white bread, but that doesn't mean that white bread is lacking all nutritional value."

Schwarzenegger needs to ensure that he is including other carbohydrates in his diet, says Ibitoye.

"Carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy, and we need it fuel our daily activities," she said. "Our brain also needs an adequate supply of energy to help us concentrate and stay focused."

According to the Mayo Clinic, severe restriction of carbohydrates can lead to ketosis, where the body breaks down fat to use as energy. This can lead to side effects such as bad breath, headache, fatigue, and weakness.