Deena Gindling
Personal Information
I’m a 40 year old mother of 2 children: Paige, 14 & Blake, 11. I’m proud to say I’ve been married to my husband, Greg, for almost 18 years! I am a Registered Nurse in Labor & Delivery and love my job!
What are your greatest fitness accomplishments so far?
I’m thrilled to be featured right here! Last fall, as I was contemplating contacting Julie, I read many of the other profiles on her website. I had a hard time believing that I could ever look like any of these amazing women. It was so inspirational to see that many of them started out just like me! I’m so happy I took the leap & contacted Julie.
I’ve competed in 2 shows this Spring:
2015 NANBF Northeast/Southwest Classic
1st place–Masters Bikini
3rd place–Open Bikini, Tall
3rd place–Novice Bikini, Tall
2015 NPC Natural Indiana
7th place–Masters Bikini
10th place–Open Bikini, Class D
WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU SEEN & WHAT HAS HELPED YOU MAKE THE TRANSFORMATION?
Just under 6 months ago I was at 22% body fat & today I am at 11% & I’ve lost about 12 pounds! Most of my clothes are now way too big, which is such a good problem to have!
I think what has been most effective for me is planning ahead & food preparation. On Sundays, I look at my work schedule & the kids’ activities for the week and decide then which days will be weightlifting, cardio, & rest days. Once its on the calendar, I treat my workouts like any other important appointment. I also spend time once or twice a week preparing food in bulk: grilling chicken breasts, roasting veggies, steaming rice, chopping veggies for omelets, etc… Its so much easier to make a healthy choice when the good stuff is right there, ready to be eaten!
What do you enjoy most about fitness?
I have grown to really enjoy weightlifting. I actually look forward to it! It feels so empowering to be a strong, confident, healthy woman! And the big muscle pump after lifting–I’ll never get tired of that!
What are your fitness goals?
I’m looking forward to keeping up this momentum I have going, with Julie’s help, of course. I haven’t decided if I’ll compete again, but I’d like to look like I could if I wanted to!
What motivates you to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
While I love the compliments that my physical transformation has elicited, for me its really all about my health. I have a very strong family history of heart disease. My father had a heart attack at age 49, his father at age 52, and a cousin at age 36. I may not be able to control my genetics, but I can certainly control how I treat my body with diet & exercise!
What is the best part about working with Julie?
I love that Julie personalizes my exercise & nutrition plans so specifically just for me! I feel like she knows my body better than I do! She always asks me if I have enough to eat, if I have enough energy, etc… Her reassurance & encouragement that I was on the right track would boost me up every time I started to worry that I wouldn’t be stage-ready in time.
What is the worst part about working with Julie?
Only seeing her every few weeks during the contest prep! A daily dose of Julie would be wonderful. Is there an app for that?!?!
Favorite 'diet' food:
Peanut butter & jelly with natural peanut butter, sugar-free jelly, & 2 slices of Aunt Millie’s 35 calorie whole wheat bread.
NANBF Masters Bikini Champion Deena Gindling
Hometown:
Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Fitness Model Deena Gindling
New friends are one of the best parts of Team FITBODY!
Working with Julie
I love that Julie personalizes my exercise & nutrition plans so specifically just for me! I feel like she knows my body better than I do! She always asks me if I have enough to eat, if I have enough energy, etc… Her reassurance & encouragement that I was on the right track would boost me up every time I started to worry that I wouldn’t be stage-ready in time.