Woman loses weight, begins bodybuilding

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Virginia Beach native Dina Taylor got an unlikely start bodybuilding when she realized she was gaining weight.

"I think when I hit 30, I just started gaining weight," 40-year-old Taylor said. "I was tired of looking at myself in the mirror every day wondering what fit me. I had a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear."

She began her transformation by working out with a personal trainer, Chad "C.J." Havunen.

"When you get a motivated client, somebody that really wants to make a change and is willing to make the effort, the sky's the limit and Dina's a perfect example of that in every step of the way," Havunen said.

Havunen says Taylor lost 40 pounds in four months. After allowing time for her body to adjust to the new weight, Taylor started working out again and building serious muscle mass.

"She dropped another 30 pounds, taking her from the 170s to the 130s down to 105," Havunen said. "She competed at the IMBF Muscle Mania in New York and won her Masters' Pro Crad."

60 pounds lighter, weight loss is clearly no longer Taylor's objective.

This weekend, she competed for her second national title in bodybuilding at the Organization of Competitive Bodybuilders Fitness Challenge in Laurel, Maryland.

"It's just a matter of 16-weeks in order to accomplish what I really want to accomplish," Taylor said. "I want to get first place."

Taylor placed fifth overall in the competition and Havunen placed first in the men's overall.