Melanie’s Story
Transformation Testimony | IFPA PRO
“My name is Melanie Denny and I am from Pittsburgh, PA. In June, I will be turning 40 years old in addition to celebrating my 15 year anniversary with my husband, Chad.
I also have 2 wonderful boys, Colin, 10, and Luke, 8 years old. I became interested in fitness 15 years ago. I joined a gym to meet new people after moving to a new area after getting married. Since then, I have been dedicated to my 5:00 am training time.
Last year I decided to compete in my first figure competition. I truly believe in Natural Bodybuilding and learned about the NANBF and the competition that was being hosted through Dean’s Fitness in April 2013. I worked with a training for a while who was assisting me with building my physique however I did not have any guidance with my diet. At 5 weeks out, I was 14% BF and had no nutrition coach. I had called the NANBF organization to obtain my NANBF registration card and that’s where it all began. When I made the call to NANBF, I had a conversation with Mendy Lynn. We started talking about my upcoming competition and it was mentioned that I did not have anyone guiding me with my diet. Mendy Lynn offered her assistance and by the next morning I had a nutrition plan. Mendy had placed me on a quick fat loss diet and in addition to twice a day cardio workouts I managed to get to approx. 10% BF and stepped on stage at 127.
Not only did Mendy provide me with a nutrition plan but she also emotionally guided me on stage. I called her my ‘Guardian Angel.’ My first show, I placed 4th in the Open Short and 5th in the Novice. After the show, I was pretty certain that I would not compete again. I remember a conversation I had with Mendy, and she told me that if I should ever decide to compete again, she recommended starting my diet much earlier. She had stated that competition preparation could be easier if there is enough time to prepare.
After much consideration, I made the decision to compete again at the NANBF show scheduled in April. I contacted Mendy Lynn and at 12 weeks out, 16% BF and weighing 134 pounds, I started my competition diet. I have many food intolerances that I had made Mendy Lynn aware of and she developed a plan around what I was able to eat. I absolutely loved the diet MendyLynn had developed for me. Although I have many food intolerances, she was still able to give me a variety in my meals. I couldn’t believe it...I was on a competition diet, eating foods that I enjoyed and seeing results!! Each week, my body fat continued to drop and I was still maintaining my muscle mass!! Not only was I seeing results, I had energy...tons of energy! I looked forward to each meal, they were very good and satisfying. Each meal kept me full and there were times I couldn’t believe it was time to eat again as I wasn’t even hungry!
I was I remember talking with other friends who were on ‘competition diets’ and I felt sorry for them. They had no variety in their diets, eating the same meals throughout the day, day after day. I was embarrassed to tell them of the foods I was able to eat because for most competitors it would be unheard of.
Not only did Mendy Lynn provide me with nutrition guidance, she also provided me with ‘tips and pointers’ to get prepared for stage. We had weekly phone calls and she was also very quick and responsive to e-mails and text messages. I always knew that if I needed anything from Mendy Lynn she would get back to me very timely. I have referred several friends and my brother to Mendy Lynn. They were not competing but were interested in losing some weight and wanted to learn to eat healthy lifestyle. They also are very pleased with their results.
I competed in the NANBF Natural Pittsburgh this past weekend. I stepped on stage at 8.5% BF and weighed in at 121.5. I placed first in the Open tall, Novice and also took first place in the Overall pose down earning me my IFPA Pro- Card. When think about it, it seems sooo unreal to me. This has been a dream of mine and it came true!!!
I would like to thank Mendy Lynn for being not only a wonderful nutrition coach but for also being a friend to me. I truly believe she has been my ‘Guardian Angel’ during my competition journey and I couldn’t imagine going through a competition without her.”