Meet Tamara
Tamara DeBlasio is a fellow ex-pat Aussie, living in Long Island with her husband Chris and their two adorable girls, Jessica, 5, and Ella, 3. Tamara is primarily a stay at home mama, but also works freelance as a makeup artist for her business Jesella Beauty, focusing on bridal makeup. (All you brides-to-be out there can check out her site here!). Tamara is in fantastic shape and makes it a priority to work out and stay fit.
Most of my mum friends actually bounced back super quick after pregnancy, but the only pressure I felt to lose the baby weight was within myself. At my current weight, I feel comfortable and like the way I look. After having 2 kids, I’ve realized my body is definitely a ‘9 months to gain/9 months to lose’ type of body! I do go through stages of being a bit lackadaisical with my diet and end up gaining a couple of pounds. If I do gain it stresses me out, so I then re-evaluate my eating habits. I know that diet is the reason for any gain in weight, because I am so committed to working out.
My husband travels quite a bit for work, so usually I will drop my oldest daughter Jessica at school and take Ella with me to the gym. One of the great things about my gym is they have a kids club/childcare area that has a climbing and play area, computers, drawing station etc, so both the girls think it’s so much fun going to the gym with mum! We also go to open family swim times, which is a great way for them to enjoy exercise.
Do you feel differently about your body after pregnancy?
One of my major weak areas is my stomach. Having had 2 c-section surgeries, my stomach has never bounced back like I wanted it to. At the same time, I’ve had some digestive issues after Ella’s birth, which can contribute to some bloating. I’ve seen specialists who say there’s nothing physically wrong, so right now I’m seeing a nutritionist once a month to work out if there are any kinds of dietary sensitivities that might contribute. I have actually been asked by someone if I was pregnant because of my stomach – while I wasn’t pregnant! I think my stomach is a little more obvious because my figure is petite otherwise. That was hard to hear – it really bothered me.
I have to say, though, I would probably be more committed to really trying to work on my stomach, but we are currently trying for baby number 3, so I think I’ve probably not made such an issue of it because I know I’m going to have another baby and another surgery!
Why is it such an important priority for you to exercise?
As well as wanting to maintain my current weight and fitness level, my main motivation is being fit and healthy as a mother. I think it’s so important and it makes me feel good to be setting the right example as my girls grow up and face their own body challenges. Today my girls love going to the gym, going for walks and keeping active. They love to eat and eat almost everything. Also, since we are trying for a third baby, I definitely want to make sure I am at my fittest for another pregnancy.
It’s wonderful that you’ve maintained your fitness and weight loss through two pregnancies (and soon to be three!). Your girls must be really proud of you – thanks for being a Fit Mama, Tamara!
Below are photos of Tamara at work doing bridal makeup for her business Jesella Beauty. You can check out her website here: http://www.jesellabeauty.com
Good for you! I know Anne loves gym daycare too, it’s a time for her to play! So it’s a win-win 🙂
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