DOMINIQUE
THIS IS NOT YOUR MAMA’S MENOPAUSE
Dominique is a Personal Trainer & Specialized Coach for Menopausal Women. In her 40s, she broke National and State records in strength sports. She applies her expertise in Olympic & Power Lifting, Kettlebells, Perinatal Strength & more to coach women age 13-85. As a Boy Mom of two in perimenopause, Dominique understands what is needed in the various stages of a woman’s life. Using lifestyle & mindset practices, she’s had long-term success managing her own autoimmune condition, celiac disease, Lyme & hormonal imbalances. Through her personal experiences she has learned how to motivate her clients to push though limitations & manifest their true potential.
I began educating myself about hormonal balance and lifestyle nearly 20 years ago when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis on the heels of 9/11 (I am symptom free as a result). When I was postpartum at 40 I began optimizing for menopause. Even still, I didn’t even recognize I was in perimenopause until my “Peri Slam” at 48.
My Peri Slam included a period that kept showing up accompanied by a newfound fragile emotional state, unexpected crying jags and raw nerves. I lost my car keys for days and felt both trapped and lost in my own house. Things got downright scary when I got lost twice driving in familiar territory one night. I knew something was wrong.
Thank God I had the sense to go to my GYN, who finally detected that I was experiencing a bout of acute estrogen dominance. Ok, at least I was not losing my mind. But what if I had not gone? I would have missed a critical opportunity to address this condition – which has a scary list of long term health implications!
Here’s what baffled me, as prepared as I thought I was… I was not. Yes, I scoured the books (I’m a total nerd). Yes, I have been biohacking for the past 10 years so that I could “glide into menopause.” Yes, I was in great shape. All of these factors served me wonderfully, but once the Slam hit THE THINGS THAT WORKED FOR ME DIDN’T WORK ANYMORE.
My initial reaction to Peri was embarrassment. I snuck around the menopause supplements like I was buying Tampax for the first time. I didn’t want to admit that I was aging to anyone, especially myself… I was ashamed!
I began wondering how many women out there don’t know what is going on with themselves? How many are staying silent? Pretending it’s not happening? How many are not getting the help they need and deserve? How many have trouble prioritizing self care?
So what? The choices we make and how we live in our 40s sets the stage for the rest of our lives. We are painting our future picture of health right now. This is make or break time! Our post-reproductive years will likely outnumber our fertile years. In order to live our best, we need to Change with our Change.
Perimenopause symptoms are common, but they are not normal. My Peri Slam was a wake up call. My body was telling me that I needed to make some changes. I am grateful that I didn’t make my body the enemy, resist it or ignore it. I continue to Changed with my Change and I am feeling better than I have in a years. Now I celebrate this season of my womanhood. I am reinventing myself and I am finding new purpose… In serving YOU. The best is yet to come and I know I will help you get there.
I feel like I have already lived several lives and I’m only 49. Fitness, art, fashion and dance have been woven through my life and are the tools I use to create positive change in this World. I’m on my third career – It is never too late to reinvent!
Rewind… I grew up in a blue-collar N.J. Italian/Greek family and was blessed with parents who encouraged me to follow my dreams. My mother was a fashion designer & art teacher, and I was her prodigy. As a punk rock teen, I spent my time designing clothes and and making art. My sole reason for attending Rutgers University was to earn a Bachelor’s of Fine Art.
After college I wanted a hands-on, art related job that made a difference in the world – I refused to “sell out”. Impossible right? I landed my first NYC job preserving rare Yiddish posters and books that survived the Holocaust. Thus began career number one…I earned an MA in Museum Studies from F.I.T. Costume and Textile conservation. For 17 years I worked for the top museums preserving cultural art: Africa, American Indian, and Australian Aboriginal.
At 36, I married, relocated to Virginia and had two boys. I continued to work full-time in my career, but being away from my babies tore me apart. So at 39, I left my museum career and began career number two as an Elementary Waldorf School teacher while my boys attended the early childhood program there. It was both immensely challenging and rewarding – I stayed there for 5 years.
A life-long athlete – at 40 I found myself postpartum and so self conscious that I refused to be photographed. I started strength training and discovered a dormant talent. Surprise!! I became a strength sports competitor at 43 and have since broken one National record and two VA state records (never saw that coming.)
Something big changed when I started lifting. I finally loved my body (it only took 40 years) and I stepped into my power. I was no longer trying to downsize myself. Inspired, I began coaching women to find this for themselves. Thus began career number three in fitness (no more working mom guilt at last.)
CERTIFICATIONS
- Personal Trainer – National Academy of Sports Medicine
- Olympic Weightlifting – USA Weightlifting
- Powerlifting – USA PowerLifting
- Kettlebells – StrongFirst
- Perinatal Coach – Mom’s Gone Strong
FITNESS SPECIALTIES
- Women’s Strength Training
- Women’s Health & Physiology & Metabolism
- Fertility, Prenatal, Postpartum Fitness
- Perimenopause and Menopause Fitness
- Pelvic Floor Health
- Return to Exercise after Surgery
- Corrective Exercise for Posture
- Injury Prevention & Recovery
- Balance work
- Women’s Competitive Strength Sports Coach
NUTRITION FOCUS
- Behavior Coaching
- Identifying Food Habits & Triggers
- Eliminating Cravings
- Creating Sustainable Eating Habits
- Whole, Unprocessed Food
- Anti-Inflammatory Food
- Food, Alcohol & Hormones
- Meal Planning and Preparation
MENOPAUSE FOCUS
- Menopause Resources and Information
- Traditional Menopause Practices
- Resources about Informed Choices & Menopause Hormone Therapy
- Age Positive Activist
MY STORY
I feel like I have already lived several lives and I’m only 49. Fitness, art, fashion and dance have been woven through my life and are the tools I use to create positive change in this World. I’m on my third career – It is never too late to reinvent!
Rewind… I grew up in
a blue-collar N.J. Italian/Greek family and was blessed with parents who encouraged me to follow my dreams. My mother was a fashion designer & art teacher, and I was her prodigy.
I feel like I have already lived several lives and I’m only 49. Fitness, art, fashion and dance have been woven through my life and are the tools I use to create positive change in this World. I’m on my third career – It is never too late to reinvent!
Rewind… I grew up in a blue-collar N.J. Italian/Greek family and was blessed with parents who encouraged me to follow my dreams. My mother was a fashion designer & art teacher, and I was her prodigy. As a punk rock teen, I spent my time designing clothes and and making art. My sole reason for attending Rutgers University was to earn a Bachelor’s of Fine Art.
After college I wanted a hands-on, art related job that made a difference in the world – I refused to “sell out”. Impossible right? I landed my first NYC job preserving rare Yiddish posters and books that survived the Holocaust. Thus began career number one…I earned an MA in Museum Studies from F.I.T. Costume and Textile conservation. For 17 years I worked for the top museums preserving cultural art: Africa, American Indian, and Australian Aboriginal.
At 36, I married, relocated to Virginia and had two boys. I continued to work full-time in my career, but being away from my babies tore me apart. So at 39, I left my museum career and began career number two as an Elementary Waldorf School teacher while my boys attended the early childhood program there. It was both immensely challenging and rewarding – I stayed there for 5 years.
A life-long athlete – at 40 I found myself postpartum and so self conscious that I refused to be photographed. I started strength training and discovered a dormant talent. Surprise!! I became a strength sports competitor at 43 and have since broken one National record and two VA state records (never saw that coming.)
Something big changed when I started lifting. I finally loved my body (it only took 40 years) and I stepped into my power. I was no longer trying to downsize myself. Inspired, I began coaching women to find this for themselves. Thus began career number three in fitness (no more working mom guilt at last.)
As a punk rock teen, I spent my time designing clothes and and making art…
attending Rutgers University was to earn a Bachelor’s of Fine Art.
