Hot Mamas: How 4 Moms Got Their Fitness Back

The Single Mom

Single Mom Destiny Vega, 25, Makes Exercise a Family Affair

For years I worked night shifts as a 911 dispatcher so I could be home with my boys during the day (my mother watched them overnight). The problem was, I constantly felt sleep-deprived and ate junk food at all hours. At 186 pounds, I still had weight to lose from my second pregnancy, but the scale wouldn't budge. I knew I had to make a change.

I switched to the day shift and began picking up Nehemiah and Nyechay from the sitter's so I could make it to my gym, the Human Performance Center, before dinner. The kids would play in the club's daycare center while I met with trainer Sarah Campbell, whom FITNESS had arranged for me to work with for two months. I couldn't last 10 minutes on the treadmill, but Sarah got me through an hour of circuit training. The hardest part was motivating myself to do it on my own three other days a week. More often than not, I skipped those first few weeks, but then it clicked: I wanted to be in shape so I could show my boys the sports I used to love, like track and basketball.

I did Sarah's routines at home while the kids watched TV, or I would take them to the park after work to play so we could all exercise together. The fitter I got, the healthier I ate. I've lost almost two inches from my waist and an inch from each thigh, and I'm not stopping there!