Dawn Fitch, 49, of Mastic, at left in April 2017...

Dawn Fitch, 49, of Mastic, at left in April 2017 when she weighed approximately 156 pounds, and after her 40-pound weight loss. Credit: Fitch family photo; Newsday / William Perlman

Dawn Fitch says she has always eaten healthy food — no sugar, no junk food — and never had a weight problem until she started hormone therapy for fertility purposes.

“My weight ballooned. I was at 166 pounds at one point and had never been that heavy,” she says.

A confessed non-exerciser, Fitch joined a kickboxing class where her daughter was taking karate lessons because she thought it was “interesting.” After three years, she found a new instructor at Unique Fitness Extreme who took kickboxing to a new level for her.

“The class is hard. He’s brutal but thorough and good. I was with the previous instructor for three years and lost only 10 pounds. I started with Chris last May and, with only two classes a week and not changing what I’m eating, I’ve lost 40 pounds,” says Fitch.

The class runs 45 minutes to an hour and ranges from five and 10 people. “I really don’t like to exercise. In fact, I hate the gym. But this is kickboxing. It’s different. I get to hit and kick things. It’s an adrenalin rush, and a great stress reliever for anybody,” says Fitch.

Fitch’s first meal of the day is a big salad at 11 a.m. She tosses lettuce, cucumbers, chick peas, mushrooms, peppers, olives and whatever meat was left over from dinner. The wine vinegar in the kalamata olives, she says, serves as the dressing. Dinner is pork, steak, chicken or fish, always with at least two green vegetables “Everything I eat is homemade; I grow most of my vegetables and herbs in my garden,” says Fitch. She snacks on popcorn or potato chips and, if she wants something sweet, granola bars.

Other than her two weekly kickboxing classes, Fitch does not exercise. “There’s always housework, though,” she says.

“Give kickboxing a try. You won’t know what it’s like until you try it. First of all, the adrenalin pumps, and stress leaves your body. It’s empowering — especially for a woman. All the things you’ve repressed over the years comes out. It’s a good workout. . . . I’ll be doing this until I’m in a wheelchair. My trainer Chris says, ‘It’s not your age, it’s how you work your age.’ ”

Dawn Fitch

49, Mastic

Occupation Retired library clerk

Height 5-foot-2

Before 156 April 2017

After 114 April 2018

Rock climbing? Indoor beach volleyball? Water parks? Arts and crafts? NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to spend your winter break. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp, Kendall Rodriguez; Gary Licker

Things to do now on LI Rock climbing? Indoor beach volleyball? Water parks? Arts and crafts? NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to spend your winter break.

Rock climbing? Indoor beach volleyball? Water parks? Arts and crafts? NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to spend your winter break. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp, Kendall Rodriguez; Gary Licker

Things to do now on LI Rock climbing? Indoor beach volleyball? Water parks? Arts and crafts? NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to spend your winter break.

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