Tamara Buzyna Adams began Sparkle Wellness in Fall 2025. She is 55 years old, lost 20 pounds and is half way to goal. Read about Tamara’s journey.
Although I have many degrees, I was a “band mom” until the birds flew the nest. I am a first-time author, publishing my book, Last Ship to Freedom, based on my Russian grandmother’s century-old diaries and my passion for genealogy. Today, I combine my love of family history, writing, photography, and visual storytelling into a meaningful and successful business helping others preserve and share their own stories.
I struggled with menopause and weight gain during COVID. I had once traveled through Europe, eating fresh natural foods, walking 20,000 steps daily, losing weight without trying. My last trip, I lost a pound. Why was my body no longer responding the way it once had?
While writing for hours, I could easily finish an entire bag of potato chips absentmindedly. I needed guidance and support to change my health. I did not want a quick fix or another temporary diet. I wanted a complete lifestyle change and a healthier relationship with food, movement, and my body. I wanted to redefine what “being healthy” meant during this stage of life.
I found Sparkle through a friend. The first notice able thing was not her weight loss, but she genuinely seemed happier and more confident in herself. Beyond the weight loss, her mindset and outlook on life seemed transformed. I wanted to feel the same way.
After publishing my book, Last Ship to Freedom, I realized writing required tremendous discipline, focus, and perseverance. I spent an entire year committed to finishing what felt impossible. If I could accomplish a goal of writing a book, maybe I was also capable of reaching a healthy weight and creating lasting change in my life.
I committed to Sparkle Fitness and began strength training 3-4 times a week on Zoom. I roll out of bed, go downstairs, turn on the computer and begin exercising alongside other like-minded women. The sense of accountability and community made a tremendous difference. I began attending Sparkle Wellness Monday night meetings, sometimes in person or on Zoom. I started learning, and relearning, foundations of healthy choices and sustainable habits. Bad habits started to change naturally. I did not feel I was constantly depriving myself; instead, I became more purposeful about what I chose to eat and why I was eating it.
Something shifted mentally. I stopped treating my health as something optional and started treating it as something necessary. I knew my Sparkle community was present whenever I needed support. Whether I needed a pep talk, motivation, encouragement, or simply a healthy recipe idea, people were nearby who understood the journey. Sparkle’s support system helped remove the feeling of failure which often comes with trying to lose weight alone.
Lasting change is less about following strict rules and more about developing awareness. The process taught me to slow down, listen to my body, and make choices supporting how I wanted to feel, not how I wanted to look.
I have a renewed sense of confidence and self-acceptance. For many years, I focused almost entirely on caring for everyone else and somewhere along the way, I stopped prioritizing myself. Joining Sparkle has helped me put myself first.
It is never too late to start. You are never too old, too busy, or too far gone to make positive changes in your life.
For more information on Sparkle Wellness, reach out to Jacynta Harb at www.sparkleanewyou.com or 404-242-5062.
Instagram handle: author_tamara_adams
Website: tamarabuzynaadams.com.
