Interview: Bikini Fitness model Maya Nassar

Geschatte leestijd: 3 minuten Maya Nassar. A Dutch-Lebanese bikini fitness model living in Beirut. Of course, we wanted to know more about her.

Maya Nassar

In an interview with MTV, you mentioned that at a certain point you could no longer get away with your lifestyle of dining out and partying. This had its effect on your body. What did this do to you mentally? Yes, that’s exactly right! I literally couldn’t get away with my lifestyle anymore. It was slow but steady, the pounds kept piling on, and I couldn’t fit into many clothes anymore. I was living very unhealthily and never thought about whether something was healthy or not. I could easily eat a few plates of pasta, for example. That’s different now! How did you get started? I was so insecure about my body that it also affected my whole personality. I was just fed up and thought this HAS to change. I did research online (I was really a novice) and came across Tom Venuto’s book, Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle. This book changed my life and inspired me to become the best version of myself. Venuto is so inspiring! When did you see the first results and how did this feel? I saw results after 3 months of really hard and intense and disciplined work. I exercised a lot and was extremely disciplined in my diet. But everything was very responsible. I would never do fad diets or compromise my health in any way. In fact, I eat a lot! And I still eat a lot. Of course, when I prep, I cut with carbohydrates, etc. But off-season, I eat very healthy, tasty food, and definitely not little. When did you decide to participate in competitions and how did you approach this? When I saw after 3 months of my ‘life change’ how well it was going and how fit I was getting, I wanted an even higher goal. Inspired by Venuto and other fitness models, I thought, I’ll do this too! What are your experiences so far with the competition podium? Competitions are fantastic! The atmosphere among participants is great. Everyone is so supportive of each other, and you also learn from each other. I love it!! You work towards something, and then to stand on the podium at such a moment, is really a highlight of hard work. I have also won several prizes at Pure Elite fitness competition.

• 1st prize bikini model May 2014
• 2nd place model April 2015
• 3rd place body transformation April 2015
• Overall female winner audience award (out of 200 participants!) April 2015

“Burka vs Bikini”

Beirut: You are currently in Lebanon. Not exactly the first holiday destination for Dutch people. How did you get there and what do you do there? Beirut is a fantastic city, believe me. The media are always very clichéd about Lebanon. But between Burka and Bikini there are still a whole spectrum of just normal people. Lebanese are Mediterranean, they love conviviality and parties. It’s really good here. Of course, there are always tensions, but you just get used to them when you live here. I grew up in Nigeria, went to boarding school in London, and when I went to high school, we moved to my Lebanese father’s homeland. That’s how I ended up here! I still go to London regularly where we have a house, and I have the ambition to come to the Netherlands more often! You are regularly seen on Arabic TV channels. Are there differences in the way fitness and bodybuilding are viewed in Lebanon in general, but also specifically towards bikini fitness models? Do you notice a difference in this respect in socially liberal Lebanon compared to other, more conservative countries around Lebanon? Yes, there is certainly a difference. This difference is expressed in the way photoshoots look. And it actually varies by news outlet. I have been on Egyptian covers in a bikini, but there were also, for example, magazines that were more conservative and that, for example, couldn’t do that. What are your personal ambitions? Any specific competitions in mind, modeling work, or more towards guiding others? I would like to open my own gym to actually help people live and see them change. That’s my ultimate dream. This is a work in progress, but believe me, this will be the best gym ever! How do you help others achieve their goals? I mainly help others online. I have a website with lots of free information and workout programs, meal planners. In addition, I have a free fitness app that has many helpful tools like a fat loss calculator and shows animated fitness exercises. My app has been number 1 in the Apple store several times and has been praised by the Lebanese Minister of Youth and Sports. In addition to these activities, I have a TV show twice a week where I show people how to exercise at home! Do you have any plans to come to the Netherlands? Possibly in the summer!