It is easy to assume that the fastest path to a toned down figure is to cut out the carbs and fill up on salads and veggies.

Australia woman Madalin Giorgetta was of a similar mindset when she began her fitness journey earlier this year. She started working out and eating lower-calorie meals, cutting down to 800 calories per day. After weeks of intense workouts, Giorgetta was failing to see the results she wanted and contacted a nutritionist. The advice was contrary to what we would expect - Giorgetta wasn’t eating enough calories and macronutrients to suit her needs, and she was sabotaging her fitness goals. “I thought I was healthy,” writes Giorgetta in a snap shared on Instagram. “After a while though…I simply wasn’t seeing the results I had anticipated. So I got in touch with a PT and nutritional coach and got my macros sorted.” Macronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, are major dietary components that the human body needs to survive. The nutritionist advised Giorgetta to drastically increase her carb intake. “When he first told me to eat 50 percent carbs I nearly died,” she wrote. “I was eating about 10 percent carbs before and could not fathom how 50 percent carbs would not make me fat.” Nutritionist Nikita Kapur explains to SELF that the common belief that we need to cut calories to lose weight is so detrimental. “Over-restricting calories to lose weight can sometimes backfire,” she explains. “If your body gets less calories then it needs to function, it can go into a conservation mode where it tries to hold on to as much energy as it can.” Giorgetta explains that while it wasn’t easy at first, it’s certainly produced the results she wanted. “I remember how hard I struggled to actually eat the size of my meals. I would just put my lunch next to my desk and eat it over the course of 3 hours as I couldn't eat it in one sitting! Now my stomach can take way more and is much happier! In the second week I, was averaging 1600 calories a day! It didn't take long for my body to catch up,” she writes. And finally, she offers the advice we can definitely get on board with. “Don't waste your time eating salad when you could be eating sweet potatoes and banana pancakes,” she says. Amen to that.

A photo posted by Madalin Giorgetta (@madalingiorgetta) on Sep 4, 2016 at 9:39pm PDT