Maya Nassar

Meet the international fitness champion, model competitor, gym owner, fitspo influencer, published author and entrepreneur inspiring the world…

Hello, Maya, congrats on your MAXIM NZ Fitness Special cover. How do you feel?
It feels great to have a MAXIM cover and also to be recognised for my work in the fitness industry. Being from the Middle East, I feel so lucky to have this opportunity and exposure all the way in New Zealand.

Give us a little more background about yourself and your life story so far.
I used to be chubby and lost more than 20 kg of fat, naturally. I am also the first government endorsed fitness model in the Arab world to represent my country internationally in competitions. I’ve won nine trophies competing in the United Kingdom and representing my country – I’m an entrepreneur and own a gym with three different branches. I also used to be a TV host and had my own fitness segment on MTV Lebanon.

Impressive. What would people be most surprised to know about you?
Most people don’t know that I’m a published author. I wrote a book for children and it is now selling in all the bookstores.

What is your best asset, physically and otherwise?
I would say my butt because I make sure to do my squats! Otherwise, I’m really easygoing and down to earth and get on well with pretty much everyone.

When do you feel sexy?
I feel sexiest when I’m on stage for a fitness modelling competition. I’m usually in the best shape of my life and get on stage to show off my hard work.

How did you get into competitive fitness modelling?
I used to be too shy and insecure to walk around on the beach but after losing weight I wanted to go from one extreme to the other. I wanted to walk on stage in front of a crowd of people and be in the best shape of my life. I prepared myself for my competition by doing my own diet and training programs and was so excited to win my first international title in 2014. I was also one of the first women from my country to ever compete.

Take us through your preparation for a fitness competition.
I usually take around three to four months to prepare and follow a strict diet with moderate carbs and train up to six times a week. I also limit junk food and stop drinking alcohol. It requires a lot of discipline and dedication, but it’s all worth it when you step on stage. My attitude towards competing is that you can never lose. It’s me against myself and just being on stage makes me a winner.

What’s the toughest thing about being a fitness model?
Perhaps the pressure to stay in shape and be fit all the time. Maintaining a competition physique all year long is impossible and I’m usually only in that condition right before a competition.

What does your role with Start Living Right gym involve?
I’m an entrepreneur and own a gym called Start Living Right with three branches – my goal is to franchise around the Middle East. Start Living Right started as an online platform with a website and a blog where I shared my passion of fitness online with free articles and fitness tips. With time, my website was very popular and then became a mobile application. It’s been endorsed by the Lebanese ministry of sports and was ranked as the number one fitness app by the Apple Store. Eventually, I wanted to start a business in the fitness industry and decided to call it Start Living Right after my online platform so my followers could connect with me in person.

What’s the number one diet and fitness tip you could give anyone?
I always say that fitness and dieting is a mental challenge. Form an emotional attachment to your goals and establish why you want to achieve this goal. Ask yourself what it will mean to you and how your life will change once you reach this goal. Once you have established an emotional connection to your diet and fitness goals, it will make giving up so much harder when you have a list of reasons why you want it so badly. Motivation comes and goes, so we need something strong to keep us pushing hard on the days we want to give up.

When you’re not eating healthy and working out, what else do you love to do?
I love adrenaline. One of my favourite things to do is to go skydiving. I also love travelling to new countries and meeting new people. I’m multicultural and love meeting people from other cultures.

Have you ever been to New Zealand?
I have never been to New Zealand but it’s definitely on my list of places to visit. I know that it’s a very beautiful country with friendly people. It’s quite far from where I live, but I hope to visit soon! The Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is also a role model to women.

What’s one thing men should always remember about women?
Women love to feel important to a man. The best tip I can give to any man is to act like his woman is the only person in the room and make her feel special.

How can a man win his way to your heart?
By making me feel like a lady and doing small gestures to make me happy. A small gesture might not seem like a lot but it can mean big deal to a woman.

What’s next for you?
I’m planning to franchise my gym and expand around the Middle East. I also plan to publish more books for children and compete again next year in fitness modelling. Stay tuned! ■

STATUS UPDATE

NAME: Maya Nassar
BORN: October 3
CURRENTLY LIVES: Lebanon
FIVE WORD SELF-DESCRIPTION: “Kind, humble, adventures, optimistic and ambitious.”
GO-TO DRINK: “Margarita.”
LIFE MOTTO: “Life is 10 percent of what happens to you and 90 percent of how you react to it.”
INSTAGRAM: @mayanassarfitness