Monday, August 25, 2008 - Our best shoot thus far! :

It has been an action packed 4 days, and I am surprised I am still standing! On Thursday night Conor and I did our final photoshoot before the show. We put a lot of thought into the look we were trying to go for. Since we have done a lot of the typical beach and outdoors shoots, and of course our more recent bedroom shoot with the fur, we wanted to go for something different with a little more of an edge.

Normally, the first step is to pick the location, and that is exactly what we did. We agreed on a hidden skate park that had ramps and tubes covered in graffiti. Then the second step — which is always my favorite — is buying the outfit. Since I am a big fan of shopping this was not a problem at all. Once all this was done, we decided how to do hair and makeup and then went to work. I think the over feel was great, the photos came out awesome and we had a blast like we always do. Not to mention I got to climb a big chainlink fence to get to the location and I had some skateboard fans watch the shoot and give me a few good whistles!



melissa deal blogged at 12:56 PM

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - One Week!! :

In exactly one week from today I will be arriving in Cleveland for the North Americans. I can't believe it's already competition time! My prep this year has been a lot different than last year. Normally, I spend almost all my time in the gym and working, however this time we have been doing so many fun photoshoots. I have to admit modeling has come a lot more natural now, and I am happy that Conor and I work so well as a team — not just when we are shooting with each other, but also working with new models. I have been able to take the things I learned along the way and coach other girls during shoots. Many people are not aware of all the hard work that goes into it. Next year we plan on doing some workshops to share our skills and secrets with other competitors and models. The FitSights blog will soon be updated with more info of our future plans, including all our traveling shoots.

This year I have been able to balance my social life a little better and still enjoy the company of the people I love. We ate dinner the other night and I pretended like I was drinking a martini just so I didn't feel like I was dieting! Even though I do miss the occasional cocktail and night out, having good company and great people in my life to make me smile and laugh has made this journey much easier!



melissa deal blogged at 2:37 AM

Wednesday, August 13, 2008 - :

In exactly two weeks from today I will be arriving in Cleveland, OH for the 2nd year in a row to compete in the NPC North Americans. Overall, I'm happy with the changes I have made in my physique over the past year. Now it's a matter of practicing and getting my presentation perfect before stepping on stage. I am so grateful for all the support I have been getting from my friends, family, and fans. Time has flown by, and I have been finding plenty of things to do to keep myself busy and distracted from dieting.

Besides being a trainer, nutritionist and make up artist, I recently started working for Axis Labs as one of their athletes. This past week I did some demo work to promote Axis and their products. I really enjoyed myself and I think it's good way to get to know new people that are involved in the health and fitness industry, as well as promote the company. It also gives me the opportunity to help others by educating them on proper supplementation. I believe there are three major components that go into a having a successful regimen that brings results -- a great workout routine, the correct nutrition plan, and proper supplementation. Axis has a great line of products that have helped me achieve some amazing results during my contest prep this year.

I have always been a big fan of supplements myself and recommend proper supplementation to my serious clients who want to maximize there results. I figure that it is important to get the most out of our hard work in the gym. People come to me on a regular basis and ask me what I do to stay in shape. There is no simple, one word answer that most people want to hear. I bust my ass in the gym doing cardio and weight training, I follow a very specific meal plan, and I take the proper supplements -- and I love every second of it. Changing your body for the better on the outside can bring many other positive changes to different aspects of your life. I see it with my clients on a daily basis, and I am proud of each one of them!

melissa deal blogged at 5:51 PM

Saturday, August 2, 2008 - Photo Shoots and Girlfriends :

Two things I blog about the most besides competing are all the fun photo shoots I have been doing and my girlfriends. So what a great idea to combine the two. On Friday night, my best friend and fellow competitor Tina Cross and I did a photo shoot. Normally I am used to working on my own. It is one thing to be able to be comfortable with your body and angles in front of a camera. Shooting with another body is a whole different challenge. Considering that Tina and I are such close friends we tend to have a natural chemistry so our ability to work it together was pretty smooth. It also helps when there is great photographer. Conor from FitSights and I have worked together on numerous occasion so our style has really started to flow. The three of us had a great time and got some really good shots.



Tina and I are both prepping for the North Americans in just 4 short weeks! We are really trying to take advantage of our prep time and capture as much of it on camera and video as possible. On Tuesday we did an arm workout at our favorite place to train -- World Gym San Diego. I will be updating my members gallery with more of these photos and videos, so stay tuned!

melissa deal blogged at 7:44 AM