MTG regeneration VS -1/-1 counters question?

Now the rule for regenerate says that wen a creature is regenerated it removes all Damage counters on it. But what if for example im using a 2/2 creature that has a regenerate shield on it and my opponent places 2 -1/-1 counters on it, now wen regenerate kicks in what happens to those -1/-1 counters sense if the creature "regenerates" what happens to those counters sense technically if it keeps them it will regenerate as a 0/0 creature and die again