This is a friendly reminder to stay active and to keep in mind that three out of seven is usually a fail in most standardised testing.

Please don’t score a three out of seven for your weekly nutrition and workouts.

The science part

The consensus in the medical/fitness world is a minimum of three days of moderate exercise (20-30 minutes per session) is required to maintain a normal, healthy body composition.

Ideally, five days per week, 30 minutes per session (or 150 minutes of cumulative exercise per week) should be performed to see adaptation and change in body composition.

Food should be enjoyed; it’s what we need to maintain the miracle which is our bodies. Thankfully, there is a plethora of healthy options out there which will provide the proper vitamins and micronutrients our body needs and sometimes craves.

Your nutrition intake and energy expenditure should provide a negative caloric balance that does not exceed 500-1,000 calories per day and results in gradual weight loss without metabolic abnormalities. Weight loss should not exceed 2lb per week.

he preachy part

Your body is a magnificent biological wonder that scientists (mostly) understand. The weight loss/gain journey has been proven, but it differs depending on the individual.

There is no one diet or online exercise programme that suits everyone. Your weight loss/gain journey is affected by your life, which includes nutrition, work, parenting, sex, socialising, sleep, environment, genetics and psychology (to oversimplify it).

The scientific fundamentals stay true for most individuals. After all, we are all human — if you are not, please stop reading this immediately.

We need to watch our bodies like we watch our favourite TV shows. For a brief period of time, analyse your water intake, diet, workout frequency/intensity and sleep patterns. Make small, healthy changes to your diet, sleep, and workout patterns and be determined to commit to those changes for one week.

Make a note of how awesome you feel or don’t feel as result of those changes. Don’t be overly obsessed with the scale, but be aware of how alert and energetic you feel as you document yourself.

Watch yourself and you might be surprised how small changes can create a great plot twist in the story of your weight loss/gain journey.

Spoiler alert! There is no final destination for weight loss/gain, it moves slightly from season to season.

The realistic part

Some people lucked out with the genetic ensemble and can mostly do whatever they want and still look lean and trim.

Some people are genetically predisposed to being curvy in the “right” places which, in some cases, might be a precursor to obesity or that extra “thick life”.

We work out and eat right firstly, because it’s healthy. We want to be healthy for ourselves, our families and friends. Some might want to take it a step further and change their body composition and fitness levels. That is where the true journey of introspection, documentation and challenging, but fun, work starts.

We are all capable of changing our body composition; just start your journey today.

Rome wasn’t built ... Hard work and dedication ... Talk is cheap ... The journey of a thousand miles ... whatever cliché you use, they all conclude that hard work pays off in the end.

• Dre Hinds is a retired track and field athlete who is now a personal trainer, aerobic and yoga instructor and fitness “addict” with more than 20 years’ experience. She specialises in nutrition, weight and sprint training, operating out of HindsSight Fitness and Wellness at the Berkeley Cultural Centre. Contact her on: absbydre@gmail.com or 599-0412. Find her on both Facebook and Instagram under @Absbydre