Boxing helps Shirley scientist drop post-pregnancy weight

A severe case of postpartum depression cloaked Donna Amoscato 12 months after she gave birth to twin girls, which followed a difficult pregnancy. She was working full time and taking care of the babies, and she was stressed.

“I was in a very bad place. . . . I had gained a ton of weight from the pregnancy and wasn’t the person I wanted to be for my kids,” says Amoscato. Her husband, who had previously trained as a boxer, suggested she give boxing a try.

“I thought it was a man’s sport. But, long story short, I started with a kickboxing class and a regular boxing class and did both of them five to six nights a week. I knew I had to do it for myself,” says Amoscato.

She said she dropped 30 pounds within a few months. “I had so much energy and felt more involved mentally with the kids. . . . It’s a way to release stress. I go punch a bag for an hour and get rid of my stress. Then I go home and I’m more of a present parent. It was really life-changing,” says Amoscato.

“New mothers’ lives tend to revolve around their kids. . . . You can forget there’s a part of your life you need to focus on. And it’s not selfish. It starts with being healthy and productive and working toward a goal, which I didn’t have before,” says Amoscato.

Amoscato, who eats six times a day, usually has oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast. A midmorning snack can be a cheese stick or almonds. A veggie burger, without bread, and cucumbers on the side is a typical lunch. A midafternoon snack is either fruit or plain Greek yogurt with honey. Chicken, a vegetable and a starch, like a sweet potato, is a typical dinner. Amoscato doesn’t eat past 7 p.m. and drinks either unsweetened iced tea or water, but nothing carbonated or artificially sweetened.

She takes a one-hour boxing class twice a week and does cardio work on Saturdays, either on a treadmill, an elliptical, a climber or at a Zumba class.

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“Women, and new mothers especially, can get their pre-baby body back. You can do anything you put your mind to. I’m probably in better shape now than before my pregnancy. . . . I tried something outside of my comfort zone and fell in love with it. Think outside the box.”