The Dana Lee Project

04/05/2026

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03/24/2026

I just had bloodwork done yesterday. My phlebotomist noticed I was turning 50 this year she said, “you look really good,” while also reminding me just how many people she encounters on a daily basis.

I admit, it was a compliment that I happily received. And my response to her was “Thank you. I take really good care of myself.”

I am having bloodwork done because I am finally ready to properly address what the F is happening with my hormone fluctuations that have been affecting me for at least the last decade -as memory recalls- from when my legs first started this deep achy-hurt that went indescribable for many many years. Even as I tried to research it on the internet, I couldn’t seem to find what I was looking for. That’s because I was looking in the wrong places for the answers and just didn’t know it at the time.

My leg discomfort wasn’t something I could properly address because it didn’t happen all the time and it didn’t keep me from lifting or staying active. Some days or nights I felt it deep down into my bones and it would prevent me from sleeping soundly. Other times it was more muscular. Not cramps. Not knots. Something else that for the life of me I could not put into words.

After 20+ years of overtraining, I just chalked it up to my body’s pendulum swinging back to course correct because too much training is destructive (just as too little training is also destructive - more on my “goldilocks era” in another post.)

Fast forward to my completion of my menopause certification last month and being introduced to incredible women like Dr. Mary Claire Haver and her body of work she’s doing for women going through perimenopause and menopause.

FINALLY some of this weird s**t was starting to make sense.

Even though I had a period like normal every single month… which was kind of confusing to me. Come to find out, regular periods did not mean my estrogen, progesterone, testosterone or cortisol was still functioning as normal. And the name this transition was given is “menopause” which means “end of periods” but that is not the thing. The name itself isn’t even accurate. It’s the drop in estrogen and the relationship to all the other hormones that weigh in its balance. 400+ estrogen receptors are found throughout the entire female body - the brain, the ears, the shoulder joint, the gut, the hips, & it goes on & on.... THAT is the thing. And that can happen years and years before there’s even a hint at your period ending.

All that being said, let’s circle back to my response to the nurse’s observation of my age: “I take really good care of myself.”

When that became a statement I lived by, the foundation I teach the ladies I mentor, decisions on my behaviors, actions and communications all fall into line. It’s not the other way around.

I take care of myself in relationships.

In how I run my business. No more hustle = no more burnout or resentment

How I take care of myself through my workouts. The type, frequency, intensity, & respecting my mood.

In my food choices and behaviors.

In my consumption - social media, podcasts, audiobooks, movies, tv shows.

In real-world company I keep (or don’t keep)

In my own thoughts and ideas about who the F I am and who the F I am NOT.

Turning 50 and looking good is not by accident. It’s intentional and it required some tough conversations and boundary-setting (ah-em boundary ENFORCING), saying no in order to say yes to me even when it felt uncomfortable and I felt guilty -bad-wrong doing it.

It’s not my beauty regimen that is my secret weapon. It’s my belief about who the F I am, and who the F I am not, as stated above. And the path to figure that out was a winding, rolling-hill, rough terrain that I chose to navigate regardless of the weather or season.

In all the years I have worked with thousands of women, the most difficult thing for me to observe and allow clients to choose for themselves - because it is NEVER something I have any part in controlling as much as they want “accountability” to solve this belief system about themselves - is the choices made that cause their own health to be pushed farther and farther down the totem pole; because her mother just fell, because her adult child is struggling with a bad breakup, because a coworker just got fired and now she’s got to take on the load and work late which means, no more workouts.

No accountability from a trainer or coach can solve that for you. That is your own power, not something that can be outsourced as someone else’s responsibility.

This is not about shaming ANYONE.

In fact, when shame is present, it is extremely difficult to heal.

The only reason I can write and speak to this is because I have my own fair share of this put-myself-last belief and behavior too. I wanted someone else to hold my feet to the fire so I could break my own weakness in putting others before me… BUT IT NEVER WORKED.

However, this has lead me to now see the symptoms of menopause differently than most coaches in this arena.

>>>> Symptoms are not separate from one’s belief system about their own self-identity, they are an expression and manifestation of it. Symptoms are an extension of one’s inner belief system. Not something that is broken to be fixed, but rather something like a child who is crying and screaming for attention, love, patience, and nurturing.

I believe it’s an opportunity to make peace with the wisdom of what your body was trying to whisper to you 20 years ago, tap you on the shoulder 15 years ago, then yell at you, scream at you, and swear at you when the gentle approach did not work and now, all in unison your body pain and night sweats are saying, “PAY ATTENTION & TAKE BETTER CARE OF MEEEEE!”

The EMOTIONAL me.
The MENTAL me.
The SPIRITUAL me.

After a decade of helping women repair and rebuild their relationship to their bodies, to exercise and to food, do you know what does NOT work? Hating yourself through it. Talking smack to yourself about how much your body and your life suck. Reading that it probably seems pretty obvious that s**t-talking yourself wouldn’t lead to a life or body you love. Yet, it’s still happening in the heads of women everywhere. “if I just beat myself up enough, I will love and respect my body.”

So… if that doesn’t work for body image and food freedom, would it work through a major transition like menopause?

This is literally the difference between midlife crisis and midlife evolution.

That is why I am writing this. It’s my invitation to you to open yourself up to see your body and what you are going through differently.

So, as I wait for my bloodwork to come back and I work with a nurse practitioner to interpret the results along with her help to take my history, symptoms and the whole integrated context, I am genuinely excited about the next phase of my life and the level of care that I never allowed myself to receive before. And when I see it that way, I honestly well up with gratitude for the whole thing.

I’ve been through a lot. I’ve accomplished a lot. I’m proud of all of that.

And yet, I believe the best is yet to come and my part in helping women turn their own crisis into the most powerful evolution is very exciting to me.

I trust there is a lesson for me in every life circumstance. Menopause symptoms are not exclusive to that. They are part of it.

I have been quiet in writing for a couple months because something is brewing. Another iteration of The Dana Lee Project will be unveiled in its proper time, as I am ready to share more of the pieces.

But for now, if this feels more aligned for you and your own path, I’m thrilled to have you by my side as we learn more about ourselves as women - who we were, who we are now, and who we really want to be when we are in the quiet, and being honest with ourselves.

As scary as that might be, I'm here for it. and I'm here for you.

More to come. xx

03/10/2026

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03/05/2026

It’s official.
I am now certified as a Menopause Coaching Specialist!! 🎉

Pretty cool to have in my tool belt at this stage of my 30+ year career.

And, it only makes logical sense since I am in the position to help the most right alongside my own age group, the phases I have gone through, and even my own interests like lifting vs pilates for example.

I’m 49 and about 6 years ago I can remember specifically being on an RV trip with my family through the Pacific Northwest and ohhhh how my legs were aching, whether I was hiking or traveling on the road or trying to sleep. It would come in waves, feel almost crippling at times, keep me up at night and it would definitely slow me down.

I didn’t talk about it or complain at all. I kept it to myself for a very long time.

At the time, I had no idea this was linked to a plummet in estrogen, progesterone or testosterone - just as importantly, the relationship happening BETWEEN the hormones. I mean, I still had a regular period like clockwork so I didn't even consider it.

I chalked it up to all the abuse I put my body through exercising anywhere from 2-4 hours a day for multiple decades. I mean, that makes sense, right? I thought my body was rebelling. Forcing me to slow the f**k down because if I didn’t consciously choose it during my 20’s & 30’s, so now - my physical body would ensure that it happened.

As I was exposed to some medical professionals like Dr. Mary Claire Haver for example, being more vocal about what actually happens to the female body as our s*x hormones fluctuate preparing for menopause, I became increasingly intrigued to learn more about not just the symptoms, but the impacts they have on a woman’s quality of life and her identity…. Especially rooted in her belief system about herself and how this stage of transition can amplify some of those deep-seated beliefs if they had not been called into question and properly addressed previously.

They may have started as a tap on the shoulder. Then a nudge. Then a push. Then a stumble, maybe a fall. Then an all out reckoning that comes in the s**t storm of perimenopause where it is so fierce that there is no other way but to acknowledge the selfceare, nurturing and prioritizing that is REQUIRED in order for relief to be found from some of these debilitating symptoms.

It’s true. If you have experienced T/trauma in your life and put it in a little container up on a shelf for it to remain out of the way from living everyday life, all neat 'n tidy, even my menopause training explains how symptoms tend to be far worse in those individuals.

I already had a hunch about the correlation between the degree of symptoms in respect to how life experiences have or have not been processed and turns out, through my certification I learned that yes. This is often the case.

That is why I am so excited to layer this onto my knowledge and skillset to help support women who are already committing to changing the relationship with themselves through my Mentorship program or taking the bold action to physically prioritize themselves by committing to one of my lifting programs on a weekly, regular basis. Whether that’s in-person or online.

It’s not that I want to create a separate “menopause help” package for women who are struggling with symptoms. It’s that when you already have a desire to strengthen the bond with yourself - learn how to speak kinder, treat yourself better, unlearn the mean self-talk and self-sabotage behaviors, when you sign up to mentor with me, you get it ALL now. Including menopause coaching, not separate from it. It IS it!!!

They get the tried & true foundation of what I have been already helping women with for years - yes, healing your relationship with food and your self-image/body. but it’s MORE than that.
..Creating a vision for your life and actually beginning to LIVE it, learning what mental blocks have been showing up in patterns throughout your life for years so you can take a pause (menoPAUSE???), see it & choose differently this time, acknowledging the real emotions you are feeling and finally explore ways to process it little by little without the need for food to sooth anymore, and answering the biggest question of all - “who do I want to BE as a woman at this stage of my life and beyond?”

ONLY within that context can I truly help a woman who is struggling with perimenopause/menopause symptoms. Because within that framework… it’s EVERYTHING!!!
This menopause training was so validating in so many ways.

I was already onto many of these concepts, and throughout my textbook, cited research, the learning portal, video lessons and case study examples, I am a female fitness professional who has ALREADY been training women properly for hormone and nervous system regulation for many many years now. It was intuitive to me. A natural progression in how I was treating my OWN body. Being more gentle. Kind. Allowing for rest. Listening. Pulling back, then lifting hard as my energy felt recharged.

And in all of that, feeling the strongest I have in years, have nowhere NEAR the stress levels that I allowed to affect me in the past, and feeling really good about my 49 year old self, including my body.

No jumping and impact. Not for my joints or my connective tissue (fascia). And definitely not for pelvic floor health.

No more crazy cardio sessions. Spinning, kickboxing, HIIT? Pushing my heart rate to the max for sustained periods of time, yeah. That was fine in my 20’s & 30’s. In these precious year in this precious body? Walking, hiking, biking, rowing, dancing for ENJOYMENT yes. NOT for calorie burn or any of that earn & burn bulls**t. It’s not good for the mind, the spirit, the soul or as it turns out, menopause symptoms.

How many times I have been ridiculed over the years by other so-called fitness professional for my decision to give up the calorie/point/macro counting models over a decade ago. Ohhh how redeeming it feels to see how many changing their tune about it now. QUALITY over quantity as a way of being - with food. friendships. career. weight lifting. It works across the board as part of a formula in how to live a full, rich, fit, healthy & meaningful life. A nourished life.

If you are a woman who is really struggling with symptoms and you don’t know what to do about it, can’t seem to find a dr who gets it, or feels so overwhelmed by it all, my top recommendation is to explore how your mental and emotional wellbeing feeds into the physical experience of the body. If you are intrigued by that and want support, guidance and resources that help you rebuild your relationship with yourSELF during this stage of your life as a woman, and allowing the symptoms to begin to fall away as they are properly addressed (perhaps HRT?) let’s have a conversation about how I approach it.

Start here by booking a call with me: https://www.realfit.tv/mentorship

I cannot WAIT to talk. xx

02/17/2026

We’re fresh off the year of the snake in the Chinese zodiac, symbolizing the shedding of skin.

Snakes shed skin as a necessary part of growth. Not because something is wrong with them. It’s just that the body knows when it's time to let it go.

There are things I’m leaving behind as I step into the new year of the fire horse, but rather than burning or ripping up the old stuff, I am feeling like they’ve just ran their course and it comes without any anger or bitterness about it anymore. I now see it differently. It’s simply time to leave some things behind, move on and take my peace with me as I go.

I choose to honor that part of myself who did her best with what she knew and what she had at the time, and I am keeping the parts where I learned and grew and became. I bring that forward, with me, as I find closure for the old versions of me.

I don’t have destain for "the me" of my past.

I don’t hate her for decisions she's made.
I don’t feel bad for her for the outcomes.
I’m not angry at her for holding onto things tor far too long because I didn't have the courage otherwise.

Because all of that? That’s all ME too.

And I am not beating myself up or berating myself about it. It’s not necessary. In fact, it's something I've identified as a real hindrance.

Instead, I include it on my path and in my story. I have chapters where I look back fondly and they make me smile and warm my heart, and then I have chapters that make for a damn good story in my hero's journey. 😂

Another thing I am recognizing: Eventually this new beginning that I’m excited about creating will be a thing of the past too.

Should I condemn it right off the bat?
Should I have destain for my creative ideas?
Should I be pi**ed about my positive energy swirling around it all now?

No freakin' way.

There are beautiful parts to the beginnings of a creation and if I’m to honor what is happening NOW, then it only makes sense to honor what used to be with the same regard. Because at one point the s**t that went sideways was once an exciting new beginning too.

I held an end of year workshop with my mentorship clients on December 26th in anticipation of this changing energies of the Chinese new year February 17th. The theme was “Move because it’s True, not because you're running.”

When I look back to honor those old versions of myself, what I really want to shed and leave in the past is the parts of myself where I made decisions and acted out of fear.

I was running away from something and that kept me in a loop and a not-so-progressive pattern because the lesson was to pause, listen and trust MYSELF. I see where I ignored or suppressed that now.

Taking action out of fear or to try to avoid something happening 🫣 has a very different outcome than taking action or moving because I feel pulled toward creating something amazing.

Working out because of a fear of gaining weight or a fear of my current body weight has a very different outcome than workout out because I am someone who cares about creating a strong, capable and healthy body that contributes to my overall wellbeing.

2 completely different things.
2 completely different outcomes.

The first feeds into to yo-yo, on again off again cycles in both the mind and in the body (Mindbody are actually ONE thing and cannot be separated)

The latter honors the building of something meaningful and becomes progressive. Like a magnet pulling me forward. A yearning, craving and desire fueling my inspiration.

Fire horse energy is specifically about movement and progress. It’s about breaking stagnant energy and old repetitive patterns that feel like same s**t, different day and allowing the instinctive clarity to move in where freedom for yourself and all the boundaries & decisions that go with it outweighs the constant seeking approval from others.

It’s time for the courage to move towards the life I want to create. I refuse to live only HALF alive by and what’s awesome about it, now I have the awareness, I get to choose. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

And so do you.

02/11/2026

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02/10/2026

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02/09/2026

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02/09/2026

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02/03/2026

I help women heal and recover from the trauma of food and body image issues.

I help women understand their bodies, find ease and make peace through menopause.

I empower women to lift weights not to become smaller, but to LIVE LIFE FULLER.

I have also helped women find their ideal partners and also navigate themselves through challenging relationships, intimate partnerships, friendships and complicated family dynamics.

Just yesterday one of my clients told me she took another incredible job offer and gave notice at her current position. This is TWICE now she has up-leveled her career since working with me over a 4 year period. (She originally came to me because after 2 gastric bypasses she still couldn't understand the missing pieces to the food equation.)

I created an online program back in 2017 that continues THIS VERY DAY to facilitate breakthroughs and permanent identify shifts in the women who go through this framework along side me, Mandy & the other women of this collective.

There are 4 components that I see to be part of why I call it a mentorship and why it’s so f**king powerful.

1. Self paced modules that are laid out in a way that untangles the chaos of your mind into linear, compounding concepts that create a deeper understanding of yourself as you move through them. They are designed to meet you where you are at every step of your becoming. You are NEVER behind. You are ALWAYS right on time.
2. Sharing your thoughts out loud with a group where other women can support you, you can support them, and come together as women are biologically wired to do. We NEED each other to process life. It’s a f**king fact. This component in and of itself can start bringing out the wisdom that is within you which leads to a greater confidence and trust in yourself naturally, over time, just by showing up to group calls or listening to the replays.
3. One-on-one time with me or with Mandy Wrazen, our group's Recovery Mentor, once a month is the place where we go as deep as you are ready to go. This is curated to YOU in the reality that is your life. This is where you may start our conversation feeling heavy, sad, overwhelmed, and yet every single time- you leave feeling lighter, having more answers, clarity and direction. I have client calls most days of the week and this not only gives LIFE to my client, it gives LIFE to me. It’s an incredible gift we share (my private VIP mentorship offers calls once a week)
4. The breathing room of working together for an entire year. (6 months as a private VIP client) Nothing to rush. Nothing to force. Nothing to prove, chase or attain. Instead, the feminine energy takes over.. the allowing, the openness to receive and the ability to see the beauty of your life as you recreate yourself day by day, month by month, season to season. We slow down so that you can acclimate to who you want to be, over time and with undeniable presence.

I received this text message from a client yesterday which moved me and inspired me to be more out there about the REAL work I do. It's time you get to know more about what I do behind the scenes.

Most people know me for fitness. That is a fraction of who I am and is why I rebranded as The Dana Lee Project a couple years ago. I am so much more than fitness. Just like you are so much more than “mom” “wife” “career woman”

Carla writes…

“Good Morning Dana. With our talks about the mentorship program I felt the need to write about it - my feelings on the program.

Today is one month before my year anniversary with The Dana Lee Project & MindFit Mentorship Program.

Last month I received an email letting me know that I had 2 months left of the year long commitment I made to myself and Dana.

In my mind I was upset that the year was coming to an end and mentioned to it her - even though I knew I had options to continue my work in the program.

A week later, Dana approached me regarding my comment about the email. At the time I hadn’t realize the negative (for lack of a better word) energy I gave off by saying “my year is up and it’s sad”.

Last week I received another email letting me know I have one more month left.

This time instead of being upset that my year long commitment was coming to an end and I haven’t finished the modules - just completed module 8 of 12 - I thought about how far I have come with the work I am doing (this lesson of changing my mindset is from one of the modules).

When I first met with Dana I was interested in joining her workout program. But when she explained all she had to offer in the mentorship, I was totally in and this was the perfect time since I had already decided I needed to change mentally, physically and spiritually.

I started this program not because of my issues with food but wanting to better myself, my relationships with others and just to be happy in life.

At that time I couldn’t have imaged how my life would change in a little less than a year. And yes also realized food was a little bit of an issue as well. The one-on-ones with Dana are awesome. I love that she is her authentic self and adds her personal growth into the sessions. She makes the sessions comfortable and easy to have those difficult conversations.

The Tuesday mentorship calls are a great way to connect with other women who are on similar journeys. These women will lift you up, they will cheer you on, they will cry with you and all without judgment.

The 12 modules are a good way to work on your own between your one-on-one sessions.

I love that there is no pressure on how fast you need to get through them allowing yourself to receive what you need from each one. The reference materials Dana provides at the end of each module are a bonus. They have also helped me expand on my self discovery.

So with my year anniversary of the mentorship program coming up, I now look at it as a celebration of how far I have come on my journey with the help of not only Dana, Mandy and even Amanda but all the women who have listened to me and have offered their own experiences/advice to help me better myself and for this I am grateful. I can’t wait to see how much I grow in the next year of my journey with the continued assistance of the Mentorship Program!”

That text message is a keeper! 🥰🥰🥰

As Carla and I talked about it further, the feelings that came up it knowing our first year was coming to a close was bittersweet for her because it was symbolic. She is receiving all she wanted from our work together (and more she didn’t even expect!) so it stirred up a kind of grief for letting go of previous versions of herself, knowing the best is yet to come for her.

I remember when her and I sat down to talk about my mentorship program for the first time. She was a 95% yes. When I asked her what the 5% no was, I sensed the apprehension and my intuition kicked in.. “Are you afraid it’s going to actually WORK?”

Yes. Yes she was. That was it.

And yet, it just took some shedding of the light and admitting it out loud. I told her “THAT? Well, THAT we can work with because every single woman holds inside a fear of change. And when she can be brutally honest about it, a strange thing happens. It doesn’t hold a grip on her so tight anymore.

I think I’m a bit of an alchemist. I can fairly easily help women turn negative thoughts and hard conversations into insights, contemplation, wisdom and empowered action.

So that is why I call it a mentorship. I’m here alongside you. not above you. Not better than you. Only sharing the wisdom of all the s**t I’ve been through in life and the plethora of lessons I’ve learned and how I changed because of it. I help your healing by not judging your life or decisions, rather, helping you make sense of them. Why?! Why is this s**t happening in my life? From food dysfunction to relationship conflicts to even helping female entrepreneurs who struggle with wanting to grow their businesses yet can’t find the confidence to come out of hiding… the most important thing here is that YOU AND I feel connected. Like we are meant to be together. Work together. Spend time together. That part can only be felt. No amount of words I type are here to convince you of anything. It’s not about that. It’s about a deep desire, the REAL craving if you will, that there is more for you. More inside that needs to come out and that you recognize you cannot do it alone. Nor do you even want to anymore. You are seeking another woman (and possibly a community) to lean on and lean into. To be able to show up without make up, through tears, through celebrations, through the real actual beautiful sadness that can be your life and make sense of it.

If that is you, I would love nothing more in my day than to have a conversation with you about what’s really on your mind and in your heart. You could be sending me a similar text 10 months from now.
I mean… Can you imagine?!

I can!!

It happens to me every week, I just don’t usually publish them. I’ve been keeping them to myself.

However, that is doing a disservice to other women who are struggling in silence.

As your mentor who “eats her own cookin’ “ as they say, I promise to share more of my client wins (which are my wins too) this year.

I want every woman reading this who has not yet worked with me on a deeper level to know that I could possibly be the ONE right under your nose to facilitate the next phase of your own personal evolution.

How easy can I make this? DM me.

Share what you’re inspired to share in a private message, immediately after readi g this, no filter and let’s see where it goes! maybe we can set up a zoom call or an in person meeting if you live close to my studio in Butler, NJ.