Episode Transcript
Speaker 0
Tell she's back.
Speaker 1
Third time, which I think makes her officially our most frequent flyer. And really, who better to help kick off season four of the
Speaker 0
podcast? Ladies and gentlemen, Gina Livia is back. She's the founder of the Livia Method. She has over thirty years experience helping people lose weight in a way that is both healthy and sustainable.
Speaker 1
And she did it by blowing up the diet culture book. No deprivation, no quick fixes, no drill sergeant energy. In the community she's built around it, there's nothing like it.
Speaker 0
Oh my God. Right? And so then when Gina told the community she was writing a book, I just assumed I knew exactly what it would be about. It's Gina Levy. It's a weight loss book. I mean, obviously.
Speaker 1
And it's not, not even close. It's called Live Lighter, the Art of Living Well in Your Body, Home, and Mind. It's September eighth, and she wrote it with a home designer and a travel planner.
Speaker 0
Right? And so the first thing I was like, wait, what? What does travel in my house have to do with any
Speaker 1
of this? Here's what I'll say. There's a moment in our discussion where Gina explains where living lighter actually came from, and it's got nothing to do with the scale. And well, it's reframed a whole lot about midlife for me.
Speaker 2
Oh, it
Speaker 0
was such a good conversation. I just love we went in so many directions, like, well beyond this book. And I think we talk about so many things that a lot of us are kind of afraid to say and say out loud. I don't know.
Speaker 1
Exactly. And right now, get thirty percent off Live Lighter when you preorder before September seventh. Get yourself a copy. And you know what? At that price, you should buy a couple because they'll make perfect gifts for your girlfriends. They're so pretty. Yeah. They're beautiful. And there's a link in the show notes.
Speaker 0
And if you wanna join me in the fall twenty twenty six living method program, right now, Gina is offering This is Perimenopause listeners ten dollars off their fall twenty twenty six program, or you can join the monthly membership and get ten dollars off your first month. Check out the show notes for the links and promo code.
Speaker 1
It's such a great conversation and one that everyone needs to hear.
Speaker 0
Why don't we just jump in? Because when you first told us, your Livvy community, that you were coming out with this book, I just kinda thought it was gonna be a weight loss book. Like, you're Gina Livvy. You're weight loss. And then you came out with this book, and it's called Live Lighter, The Art of Living Well in Your Body, Home, and Mind. And you've cowrote it with Lynn Knowlton, who's a home designer, and Norma Thiesen, who's a travel planner. And I'm just like, wow. So curious. Not what I expected. Tell us tell us all about the book.
Speaker 2
So so I had I had had the story kinda goes back to I had Greta Podletsky come on in my, program and do some cooking demos for us, and she just wrote this book called, Every Salad Ever, and it's just like such a beautiful book. I don't know if you've gotten your hands on it. Yes. But I I met Greta, like, thirty years ago when I was working on breakfast television. And she came in with her book that she did with her sister called Looney Spoons. And it was, like, really interesting. It was different because because having worked on the morning show, people are always sending us books. So I'd seen a lot of cookbooks come through, and I was like, wow, this is fun. This is different. And I remember that really stuck with me. And so when I had the opportunity to have Greta on, I'm like, oh my gosh. I love Greta. And this woman, she's like she produced her own book. She did the photography, the layout. Like, she she's a powerhouse woman. Wow. And just in talking with her, I had such mad respect for her. I'm so happy that we had the opportunity to connect on the level that we did. Anyways, so, obviously, we promoted her book in the program, but Indigo reached out to me. And I'm like, do you wanna do a book? And I'm like Oh my god. Who?
Speaker 0
Okay. Stop. It's officially you're the coolest person
Speaker 1
we know. Oh my god.
Speaker 2
Yeah. And it was this, Claire. I absolutely love her, and I was mentioning to someone. They're like, she's like the woman that everyone is trying to get a meeting with. Like, Claire is the person, and she just sent you an email. And I'm like, yeah. And she's like, listen, we wanna do a book with you. And I was like, what kind of book? She's like, it doesn't matter. Just like any kind of book. I'm like, when? She's like, what? Tomorrow, next year, whatever. And I was like, you know what? I wanna do a lifestyle, like a recipe for lifestyle book. Yes. So it was so inspired by Greta's book. But, like, I'm not into cooking. I'm not a cooker person. But I have
Speaker 1
more style. You make bread. I've seen
Speaker 2
it. Listen. Let me tell you. I need to repair my my sourdough starter every time I go away and I forget to put it in the fridge. It's a whole other adventure. I actually just checked it. It's, like, it's ready. I've been feeding it the last couple days. I'm excited. I'm I'm gonna make it to pick up some new flour. I'm gonna make some, start making some bread today. But, yeah, I wanted to, everything I've learned about lifestyle and share it, but not in a way where we need another to do list. Right? I've I've quoted some of our guest experts, like our psychologists and and learning strategists and sleep experts and whatnot. I've I've all given them a nod in the book. But, yeah, I wanted to put together a book that looked beautiful on a coffee table. Right? You leave it out. It's gorgeous. It's gorgeous. Yeah. It oh my god. It is. Can I just tell you?
Speaker 0
It's so pretty.
Speaker 2
The evolution of this book, we should have documented it because it it was a Yes. It was a journey in and itself. So I wanted to do a lifestyle book, but I also didn't wanna do it alone.
Speaker 0
Yeah.
Speaker 2
I so I had a friend, Lynn, who is this, like she's just this gorgeous designer. She's not, like, frou frou and over the top or, like, extreme like, she's just really real and she's such an incredible person. And her husband, Michael, I met them a few years ago when Lynn invited me to her tree house. So she has a whole, like, tree house on her property. Oh, wow. Gorgeous. Wow. So she she reached out and was like, hi. I'm a member. I did your program. I love you. Do you wanna come to my tree house for for the weekend? And if you need me Please. Well, yes. I was yes. Right away, but my husband was like, okay. Wait. You wanna go to this strange woman's house that you don't know? And I'm like, she has a treehouse. And he was like, what? Okay. And so I had actually followed her on Instagram, and I stopped following her because you could not you used to be able to rent out the tree house, and you couldn't anymore because her husband, Michael, had cancer. He's he's still having cancer for a good chunk of his life. And so they're like, we just can't do that anymore. So I stopped following them because it was so depressing for me that I couldn't go there one day. Anyway, I I go. Tony and I pack up the car. Even on our way there, he's like, are you sure? What are we doing?
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 2
I was like, something in my phone. Device in
Speaker 1
case we go missing. Yeah.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Oh, yeah. So I was like, I don't know why. I just wanna go. Anyway, long story short, we connected with them. I absolutely adore them. They're incredible. And to her whole place is just like this space and place to breathe. Mhmm. And in such contrast, because they have four kids, to my life, which is just chaos. Like, my office space is, like, the one like, no one's allowed in it. Right? Because, like, this is the one clean place in my house. And I was just like, wow. The way they live is so intentional, and I just had mad respect for her. So, we've been friends for a couple years, and I was like, Lynn, do you wanna do this book with me? Because I think I think you need to create your home as your your wellness partner. And as my kids are going off to university, I have this blue blue couch that I got from Cozy. Washable covers. Like, it was, like, my first real couch couch. Right? Like, I bought it. It wasn't, you know, it wasn't cheap, but it wasn't, like, over the top. And I was, like, I can only do navy blue. And in the five years I've had it, kids have barfed on it, teenagers have done I don't know what Dogs.
Speaker 1
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2
Wake up, and there's, like, kids everywhere. You know, dogs and cats. And I'm like, now that my kids are off to university, I want a white.
Speaker 1
Oh, good for you. Beautiful.
Speaker 2
Like, I wanna create space where my I feel like I'm reclaiming
Speaker 0
Uh-huh.
Speaker 2
Like, it's bigger than my couch. You know? Yep. Yep. Yep. I'm reclaiming my my space and and trying to figure out, like, who am I, this person that, you know, it's I'm no longer in, like, the kid world. And And so I immediately thought of my friend Lynn because, you know, I I'm not a designer. And I'm, you know, you go to her house and she puts weeds in a vase and it looks amazing. Right? Right. Or, like, candles in a jar. I'm like, where'd you get these? She's like the dollar store. I'm like,
Speaker 0
how did you do this? I know some people
Speaker 2
can just
Speaker 0
do it. I know. I know. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1
Yeah. It's a it's a talent. It's a skill. Not every
Speaker 2
It is. It is. It is. It is. So I got her to share. She lives this beautiful life with a lot of stress. She's got a lot going on. In fact, while we were writing the book, her husband, Michael, is, like, you know, his cancer has progressed. It's very aggressive, and, there's just never a good time for her to do anything. So she's currently, just kinda navigating that right now. And then I love travel, but I don't book trips. My husband does all of that. I just I come along for the ride. And but just way to do it.
Speaker 0
We all need a Tony. We all need a Tony in our lives.
Speaker 2
Everyone needs a Tony.
Speaker 0
Everyone needs a Tony.
Speaker 1
We love you, Tony.
Speaker 2
He's he could he's sitting next to me.
Speaker 0
You can hear me.
Speaker 2
He just looked at me. He's like, uh-huh. Uh-huh. Yeah. So travel for me when I, my my marriage had fallen apart years ago after my husband got sick and we lost everything, and I was finally kinda getting back on my feet, I, like, randomly signed up for this, like, surf trip to Costa Rica. And it was I had no business going. I went on my own, and, I just kinda followed, like, I need to do this. And it was life changing for me. And I always wanted to travel, but never did because, you know, I went to school and I got jobs and then had kids and, you know, and, travel's played such a huge role in my life. I just think it opens your mind to realize that, one, is that it's this this is not the center of the universe, the life that you live, and at any moment, you can change your circumstances. And then people are just living in a completely different way. And so travel was really, an important part of my life recently, and I had an opportunity. So Lynn, my tree house friend, last year was like, hey. Do you wanna go on a trip with my good friend, Norma? I was like, well I don't know. Yeah, but also like, is this how we make friends when we're older? We have to go, you know, to like wherever we're gonna go. Anyway, I said yes. I didn't know where we're going. And, originally, we're gonna go to Ireland, and then we ended up in London. Well, I love Norma. Norma is like she her way of travel is not sightseeing everything. Her way of travel is like slow coffee in the morning. Don't talk to me. She's like, don't listen. Don't talk to me before ten o'clock. She said that to me. Don't I'm not into that. Don't talk to me before ten. I here's what I do. I get up. I get a coffee. I remain silent. I go back to my room. I read a book. And then when I feel ready, you'll know. And I'm like, what the fuck is this bitch? Right? But I I just love her because I I learned a lot, from that trip. She you know, she's having a bath every night at seven o'clock. I'm staying up later and, you know, she's doing her own thing. And and working with these two women really taught me, how to be more, like, myself and really own that and not really give a fuck about what other women think, including the women that are close to you. Like, I had such mad respect. In my twenties, Thursdays, I would have been like, fuck off. Like, you're not my people. But now I'm just like, wow. Like, look at you. Like, so strong in who you wanna be and how you wanna do things. We had a lot of I wouldn't say fights, but we had a lot of conversation. And, like, Norma's like, you can't do that. You're not doing that. And I'm like, well, I really wanna do this. And, you know, there were some tears shed because it was hard for me to speak up, and kinda I I'm just learning to own my voice just just now, and they were you know, they've had some a little bit more practice than me. And, but the story behind this book is is three women who came together to share what they've learned and intentionally want to create something for other women that just added to their life. It it is full of tips, but nothing, like, where you're like, oh my god. Not I'm not gonna do that or I can't afford that or whatever. Sharing our stories, which are very real. I want women to know they're not alone and that little things you can do can add up. A lot of times we overthink it. And truly designing the life that you want to live, it's it's not losing weight and eating less and exercising more. Right? So so anyway, so that's the story of the book. And I'm if you can tell him, you're the first people I've kinda talked to about it, and, I'm super excited. But I'm I'm more so excited about the story behind the book and the journey in creating the book. I wanted to I don't care if we don't sell one copy. I'm so proud of this incredible book that we designed together and the journey that we went through to to get it done is just like such such a gift. So Yeah. Well, and I think the question?
Speaker 0
Yeah. Just tell us all about it. I feel like though I think this is really interesting because when we're in midlife, we always keep hearing you gotta push harder, you gotta restrict, you gotta like, all those things, you gotta be doing more, you gotta eat more protein. And then you came out with this book that's about, like, simplifying and shedding almost that emotional and the, The pressure. Physical, like, heaviness, the pressure. Yeah. So why do you think that midlife is such a great time to do that?
Speaker 2
I think we're forced into doing it. Mhmm.
Speaker 1
You know,
Speaker 2
I'm the kind of person that, like, I'm I'm a fiercely loyal person. Forgiving them because I try to understand from their perspective. And I'll keep doing that over and over and over or hold on and try to make things work until the universe says, okay, honey. That's enough. We're gonna make this for you. Yeah. It usually takes, like, a big thing for me to to make change. But I think we're being forced. You know, I love the whole menopause conversation. It's it's like the wild west out there, and, you know, there's some it's it's it's somewhat problematic when you combine it with social media, and that's why I love you guys. And you're just trying to have the the conversations and and help women, navigate that. I just think there's so much out there that you have to go in you have to go inward. And I feel like so many women I'm talking to are pivoting. They're pivoting. And and whether they're now forced to, you know, take care of their aging parents, which they probably didn't expect that to happen for a while, or they're trying to navigate what's going on with their kids, especially after the pandemic. Like, there's a there's a lot going there. The whole ageism thing, like, my my body is changing. I don't have the same energy I had before. Like, just where do am I, like, obsolete? Like, where do I fit in? Like, you know, it's like you you're forced to second guess your entire life, and I think that's a great opportunity. I I'm always been really big on change. I love changing. I love growing, evolving. I love being really, like, insanely self aware. Like, you don't have to tell me I'm being a bitch or tell me, like, I'm making the wrong choice. I already know.
Speaker 0
I yeah. I might still do it, but I know.
Speaker 2
I know. I know. I know. And I just think it's a great opportunity. I think this whole menopause conversation has opened the door to conversation and a great opportunity to be like, oh, Right? Like, if I talk to my mom about, and I have, she I thought my mom was crazy. I like, she had gone through her, breast cancer quite early. She wasn't happy in her marriage. She had gone and she's like, you know, Gina, I think I was I think it was menopause. I'm like, yeah, mom. Like Yeah. I think it was. But she didn't have anyone to talk to, and no one was talking about it. And we live in such a great time that we can and have really I'm like the queen of really real conversations.
Speaker 0
So You are.
Speaker 2
So, yeah, so I think it's a good opportunity to reflect and have the conversation. It's so out there now. Like, I can have it with my husband. Like, I remember after the pandemic, and this
Speaker 1
is sort of where
Speaker 2
I started to go through perimenopause. I'm like, what's wrong with me? Mhmm. Like, I am so edgy and just I thought it was the pandemic, and it wasn't. It was it was
Speaker 0
the pandemic. Same. Same. We went that was when it hit us as well, I think. The like, to the max. Yeah.
Speaker 1
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, we're we we're the same age. Right? We're all right there, and it it's it's, it feels it's scary, it's lonely, it's awful, it's it's overwhelming. And when you have the opportunity to become a living loser and understand a little bit about what's going on, you realize it's actually an opportunity. And I think to your point, Gina, you know, it's like a wake up call and it's a, hey, what you've been doing is no longer serving you or anyone else, and it's time to step back and assess what your priorities are, maybe even figure out who you actually are, because a lot of us have never really known that. And this book sounds like an incredible way to crack that open for so many people. Right? Because, I would much rather read your book than go about it the way the three of us did. Which was fucking awful. Like, oh my god. Like, it it almost brought me to my knees.
Speaker 2
Yeah. I think it's a there's a lot of science out there, which, of course, we need, and the science is changing and evolving. There's a lot of books written out there that are really heavy. Like, we wanna understand our bodies, but there's not, like, the actual practical waking up each day. Like
Speaker 1
Well, and what and and the the small things that you put that you can do
Speaker 2
to cultivate a life
Speaker 1
that prioritizes yourself. Right? Like, no none of us know well, we're learning, but none of us knew how to do that. Right?
Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah. It's like, it reminds me, like, my mom was like, you gotta clean your room. Like, I just knew we had to have everything clean. Right? Oh my god. The cleaning
Speaker 1
is so clean.
Speaker 2
This is yeah. And this is beyond just, like, cleaning your house and organizing it. It's intentional. Like, why? Because I feel chaotic in my space. Right? Like, it's not just cleaning it because it needs to be clean for people to come over.
Speaker 1
Right. Because of what other people think. It's about what you need. Yeah.
Speaker 2
You know, I was just in Europe, lucky enough to go with my family, and I think this is where travel, for me started when I was sixteen. I went to, France with my boyfriend at the time's parents because his dad is a teacher and he his sister was on a teacher's exchange. Anyway, I remember we stayed at this, like, beautiful villa chateau, whatever you call it in Provence. And it was dirty. It was absolutely insanely beautiful. It had a pool, tennis court, like, the food we had every day was glorious, but it was dirty. The cobwebs in the ceiling, dirt on the floor, no one gave a fuck. And I I encountered that again when we rented this villa in Tuscany, and it's the same thing. It's not like it was dirty, like, ew, dirty. Yeah. But it was just like no one is cleaning to the extent that we feel we need to clean to have everything perfect and clean. Right? And I think that's sort of like the standard of our homes. It's like, oh my gosh. We all feel like failures because everything isn't, like, perfect like this when, like, why do we need it to be? You know? So if you wanna have a clean house, that's fine, but why?
Speaker 1
But what? Oh, the why. You know, so, right when things started to go sideways for me, I thought I'd have a hip replacement, because, you know, that's helpful when that stuff's going sideways. And Yeah. I was lucky enough to have a great medical team, and I got referred to a woman, for rehab to do Pilates, which was incredible, for that. And it anyway. So I spent a lot of time yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I spent a lot of time with her, and she had one eight'd her life for the better in and around this age. Right? And decided to really upend things. And I remember this so stuck with me. And I remember her saying to me during one of my sessions, you know, I used to have a big huge house, and used to be able to I used to clean it so that you could eat off the floor. Yeah. Yeah. I really wish I had spent those hours doing something else. And I remember the moment being like, oh.
Speaker 0
Because you also have a house where you could eat off
Speaker 1
the floor. Yeah. Not so much anymore. Not so much anymore. And if it's that clean, it's not because I'm doing it. Right? But but really but right? Like, to your point, why why are we doing this? And if we have such limited time, when you really start to grasp the concept of how little time
Speaker 2
we have
Speaker 1
You do. Yes. Is that really what you wanna be spending it on?
Speaker 2
Yeah. That and I think so women so many women know like, when my life whenever my life is shit's gone sideways, it's always when I'm not listening to myself and honoring myself. Right? And I I always used to say, if you do what makes you happy, you can't go wrong. But that doesn't mean that's easy for other people. It doesn't mean that that's an easy road to take in doing what makes you happy, but we get sidetracked through compromising through relationships or prioritize and sometimes you do have to prioritize other people. Yeah. We end up living this life, I feel like, was really not what I intended. Although my life is amazing and it's incredible, I I there's definitely things I haven't done that I would like to do. Like, you know, I wanna move to Italy one day. Like, I maybe I'll change my mind about it, especially after the the heat wave they had. But, like, I don't wanna be the person who says that they wanna do the things and then they don't do the things. And I understand, like, there's limitations and stuff that people have.
Speaker 1
So I'm
Speaker 2
not just talking everyone moved to Italy. But if you wanna be the kind of person who gets up and runs every morning or goes for a walk or you wanna be that person who meditates, but maybe your spouse doesn't believe in that. Right? Like, my husband, I used to be into energy work. I'm a Reiki master. I used to ground myself every day. I used to really practice that, which is part of me being really calm in the moment. And he was not he's not the biggest believer in that. And so I just stopped talking about it and stopped doing it. And now lately, I'm just like, okay. You might think this is crazy, but this is what I believe, and this is what I'm gonna do. The other day, I was talking to a woman who was talking about how she made all these changes to lose weight. She was feeling fantastic, but her husband was not on board. He just was like, I don't wanna live like this, and I don't wanna worry about that and whatever. And she's like, so I just stopped. And I was just like, oh. And I think that's why it's so important to have community. Because if if you don't have the strength to live your life in the way that you want, you can get that from community. Like, if your husband or your spouse or whoever, your friend circle isn't given to you, you gotta figure out a way to to, like, create that for yourself. And I think I think that's something that this menopause conversation has done. It's it's helped, speed up community again because I think we got so disconnected with the pandemic. We like, it's like it's like women have forgotten what community is. Like, people will call my, community a cult. And I'm like, it's not you've just forgotten what community is about. It Yeah.
Speaker 1
What? Or didn't ever know what it was about to begin with. Right?
Speaker 2
You never knew what it was about to so it's really hard to make real change in your life in one sense, but it's also so easy in another sense. We just think we have to do this big grand I think when we think of changing our lives, we think about losing weight. Like, we just gotta eat less, exercise more. We gotta do all this.
Speaker 1
We think it's supposed to be grueling and hard. I mean, it's a far away at and it doesn't. It's a
Speaker 2
far away.
Speaker 1
It doesn't. It doesn't.
Speaker 0
Well, now we know it doesn't.
Speaker 1
Now we know it doesn't. I think we also realize that we don't need to ask for anybody else's permission. Right? When you can when you can finally connect with yourself in a way where it doesn't matter. Right? And you I think the community is what helps you get to that point. Right? Yeah. So that it's not, hey, I'm gonna it's what do you think? It's I'm doing this for me. My show is not. But yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2
Yeah. I think, someone said to me the other day that when you are vulnerable I said, yeah. Our community is so incredible because, like, you you show up somewhere and our community is there, and it's like women are best friends and they've they've never even met. And they're like, it's vulnerability. And when you when people are vulnerable, it it immediately, like, opens up a gateway or a door to connect with people because your guard is down.
Speaker 1
Yeah. Yeah. Your guard is your guard is
Speaker 2
down, but I think permission is really huge. I think women have been I mean, this is a whole other bigger topic, but, like, women have been waiting for permission for years. In one sense, we're like, we don't need permission, but then we're waiting for permission. You know? Yeah. That's a tough one to get past for a lot of women because I think we are we I think we are raised in a way where we are concerned about what people think. Oh. And that's that's a hard thing to say.
Speaker 0
Hundred percent we are. And we're taught to be not subservient, but we're taught to be the the thing that holds everyone together and always giving and always doing it and not asking for help and and just I don't know. It's it's it's a lot. Anyway, I'm feeling particularly vulnerable right now and a little down.
Speaker 2
Are you? So far. What's going on? What's going on?
Speaker 0
Just life. You know, we, my son's going through it right now with school and girlfriend and all those things, and he's a very sensitive soul. And we've lost like, I lost We've just had, like I'm starting to feel like the angel of death or something. Like, it's just circling. Like, there's anyway, it's just like there's so much happening. It's just been a really tough twenty twenty six, and I'm looking forward to the end of this year sometime soon, hopefully.
Speaker 2
Anyway, that's not just a decision to stop. Way. Not Amazon.
Speaker 0
Hear about today, anyway. I didn't mean to go
Speaker 1
that way. But it kinda is. But it kinda is.
Speaker 2
It's it's exactly that. It's exactly that where you're like, I wanna know what's going on with you. I know we're doing a podcast and we're live or whatever, but, like, I think this is what women don't stop and say, hey. Like, you know, always in my life when people like, how how are you? I I would tell them. And if I ask you how are you doing, I wanna I'm like, it's not a formality for me.
Speaker 0
Oh, Gina, you I I you know, we don't have enough time.
Speaker 2
Well, we we will catch up, and I I do wanna hear what's going with you. I've been trying to I think as you get older, just more shit happens, or we were just so in the in denial about or just so, in one sense, so self absorbed that we only see what we see. And as you get older, you're changing your perspective, and you're noticing things going around you. Right? And you got your kids, and they're having their whole lives happen now. And, you know, death is definitely it's one of those things, that is so stupid. Why do people have to die? I'm I'm still trying to figure that out. It just seems so fucking dumb.
Speaker 0
It is. Dumb?
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Speaker 0
It's tragic often and heartbreaking and yeah.
Speaker 2
Yeah. You know, grief is one of the things I've been obsessed about the last couple years. Because if you I help people lose weight, maintain, and make change. Right? But but no one talks about the doing that through grief. Like, we're just all, like, it's fine. Meanwhile, people are, like, just heartbroken and gutted, and there's so many different layers and levels of grief. So in passing or grieving, who you are, who you're not, or what you can do, what you can't do, grieving the loss of a job. Like, there's so much a pet. Like, there's so much grief going on. I think it's one of the things that we don't talk enough about. Oh, absolutely. I'll just pretend I'm lying.
Speaker 1
It's all good.
Speaker 0
Well, we did have a really interesting conversation earlier this season with Kyla Fox, and she She's
Speaker 2
the eating, the disorder specialist. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 0
But she had lost her she lost her mother a year prior, so it was just a fascinating conversation. Yeah. I think it's one that we definitely need to be having as well. There's so many things we need to talk about. My goodness.
Speaker 2
Well, that's what I'm doing this year. I'm making my mission to have the conversations that no one's having. I wanna just, like, jump out of the box with all of it. I wanna go, like, so deep. I like, I I do. I don't wanna you know? I'm just there's this surface thing happening. Mhmm. And I just wanna, like, I wanna get right into it. I wanna just roll around in the muck and have the hard conversations and Sun. Although it's a very light book. It's just this is about calm and joy.
Speaker 0
No. So tell
Speaker 1
So that you can have those hard conversations. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 0
Absolutely. And so what can we expect out of the book?
Speaker 2
What can we expect of the book? Well, I listen. One of the things that I said to the reason why I agreed to do a book with Indigo is I said, I wanna do a cross Canada tour. Like, a
Speaker 1
a book.
Speaker 2
Yes. I wanted to do a meaningful book, but I also wanted to the book to bring women together. And so we got so much planned over the next year to bring women together. So Yeah. You know, like, if I go to Edmonton, I wanna find women in the community and have them come on and share their stories and their journeys. The book itself is just meant to be beautiful. Just it's supposed to look nice on your table or your bedside. I want you to you could be like my mom and read it from, you know, front to back. Cover
Speaker 0
to cover.
Speaker 2
I will. Cover to cover. I love that there's three distinct voices in it because I think a book just all of me might just be a little bit too much me. But Lynn has got this humor, honestly, and Norma is just like this perspective on on life. It's just so much more than just travel. It's meant for you to pick up a page and read it and then be like, oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah. You know? And then put it down, and then come back to it. Or, you know, you have it on your coffee table, and a friend comes over. And, you know, making them tea, and they pick up the book, and then it creates conversation. Mhmm. Everything in this book is strategic. The the the the white spaces on the page, the photography to evoke feeling, we wanted it we wanted you to feel joyful, inspired, calm, and that you're not alone by the end of it. That's and my my hope is that when a woman buys this, they feel like she's buying a gift for herself. And then I hope she gives it to someone else whether her copy or purchase is another copy but I just didn't wanna add another I just wanna add more to the noise. I wanted to to add something that, I don't know, felt like it was, like, helping with the conversation, but not in a to do list kinda way. Mhmm. You
Speaker 0
know? Mhmm. It sounds magical.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna send you a copy, like, tomorrow. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, people can pick it up at Indigo. It's on presale right now. I don't know when this airs. It might be available in store. We're gonna have a whole, website, live lighter dot com, with an events page on it. And and whether you are part of our community or new to our community, you know, or you wanna be part of a community, I hope that this book inspires women to, not make change, but to just feel like she's not alone. And if she does wanna make change, then it's the small things you do every day that add up.
Speaker 0
That's it. Beautiful. Speak yay. Thank you for bringing that out into the world. We you've we've been talking a lot about community, and we also dove in a little bit on the, menopause conversation. Yes. You're gonna be at the National Menopause Show again this year, October seventeenth and eighteenth. And I think this is well, I know it's your third year because that's where you met. I stalked you the first Yes. The first year. Yeah.
Speaker 2
Yeah. We had that big booth. Yes. Yes. And we Big tall.
Speaker 1
Insisted with the organizers that we had to visit. Your booth.
Speaker 0
Right beside you. I'm like, I just need to be within visual of Gina. Please. Please. Yeah. Look at this now. Yeah. I know. Oh my gosh. I love that. So tell us, like, I think this year you're moderating on the main stage. Is that Mhmm. Accurate? Yeah. And it's a conversation.
Speaker 2
Do a talk. And I I'm like, no. I don't wanna do a talks. I just I wanna be part of panels. I wanna, like, facilitate converse. I've been wondering what the fuck I do lately. Right? Like, I Yeah. I have a great weight loss program and a great maintenance program. But I always said once I created that, I wanna kinda do something else. And and I feel like I am the facilitator of community, facilitator of conversations. So I'm gonna be talking about because everyone always says how do I lose weight, and when it comes to midlife, it's like you gotta get some sleep and you gotta get into stress.
Speaker 0
Yeah. That's it.
Speaker 2
Yeah. You can you can eat all the fucking carrots and protein in the world, but if you're stressed out, not getting good sleep, I mean, that's one of the reasons why women feel like they gain so much. In menopause is they're not sleeping. Yeah. When you're not sleeping, you're craving more carbs and all of that. So I'm gonna be, hosting a conversation on sleep and stress. Yep. So that's gonna be really fun. So I'm gonna be on stage, I think, twelve o'clock on this Saturday, but we also have a booth. I don't my team, hopefully, they do not quit on me because the first time we had the booth, we thought it'd be fun. And there we are trucking in stuff and
Speaker 1
uploading. We remember watching you,
Speaker 0
like because we had a really simple booth, and you had this beautiful booth. And then you had a couple Yeah. At your booth all day. There was a line around your people
Speaker 1
to have their picture taken with you? We were like, what is going on?
Speaker 0
Well, I already knew
Speaker 2
I was Michelle knew. I was like seen this yet. And I
Speaker 1
was like Oh
Speaker 2
my god.
Speaker 1
What is happening?
Speaker 2
It's gonna
Speaker 0
be magical. Genius magic. What material? You are in the master's community.
Speaker 2
I think I think it's about, I think the reason why women, have an appreciation for me is because they I I get share the tools for them to make change. I think women get really inspired when they feel empowered that they can make the change. I never but I love I love meeting our community. But, yeah, I I'm kinda go hard, go home, and I'm I'm trying to change that a little bit. I'm just trying to find some middle ground. But, yeah, we did a whole whole lot of things. Is he rolling his eyes right
Speaker 1
now, or is he is he agreeing
Speaker 2
that you're trying What's that?
Speaker 1
Is Tony, like, rolling his eyes eye rolling right now? Like, that I'm trying, like or are you actually doing? I'm just
Speaker 2
You know you know what's interesting with him? Because we've gone through an evolution. I think, in in my company and my business, which is a whole other conversation, because this is I've never run a company this size. I never even wanted to have a business, to be honest. I just thought I would, like, write some books, get on stage, inspire people, like, do that kind of thing. This whole, thank god for him and his MBA and his business experience, I you know, otherwise, I would have no business. But it wasn't really something I ever wanted. And, you know, out of out of, not having that experience, I listened to a lot of people that I shouldn't have listened to. And it's been a real fight for me to be like, okay. I may not know about business, but I know what works for me and what doesn't work for me. And so we've just come to this place where he's like, yeah, babe. Like, whatever. Like, I'm gonna trust you. I'm gonna trust you, and let's just we're doing him year of me. And so which is terrifying, because what if I'm wrong? But at least if I'm wrong, I'm wrong. Yeah. Right. So we've gotten this our our relationship has evolved where he's been he's like, okay. Do you really feel like, he'll bring me, like, okay. So here's how much it's gonna cost and the reality of this. It's like the make it happen person. So, yeah, he's I think it's the last thing he wants to do is do a whole booth at the menopause show. But I'm doing it with my friends at Bath Orium. And Oh, that's interesting. My yeah.
Speaker 0
Yeah. Yeah. We bought it all last year.
Speaker 2
What about Lusome pajamas? Have you tried those?
Speaker 1
No. But we're we've heard about this. You gotta get some.
Speaker 2
I may or may not be designing my own pair. Oh, stop it. You know, menopause pajamas, what a crock of shit. Right? Like Yeah. Yeah. Are you fucking serious with your menopause pajamas? Yeah. But this company has been around for, like, fifteen years. And I I'm you know, I start with the jammies because I love the two piece set, and then, you know, at the end of the night, I'm like, it's all off. All off. Whatever. Let me tell you. Like, these pajamas, I it's they stay on. I mean, my husband probably would prefer them not staying on, but, they they stay on. So they're gonna have a booth. Yeah. My favorite jeweler, Dean Davidson.
Speaker 1
It's so hard to find good pajamas. I can't wait.
Speaker 2
Oh, they also have a sleep podcast. So or you should have her on, the owner of the company, honest to god. So yeah. So I'm I'm gonna be there
Speaker 1
talking about something else.
Speaker 0
Jeweler. I think a jeweler was gonna be there.
Speaker 2
Oh, yeah. No. Yeah. My I have this, Dean Davidson, this jeweler that I really like who's, like, friends with Beth, who I met. We all kinda connected. And I'm like, you should come to the menopause. Show. And they're like, what what does that have to do with anything? I'm like, because a lot of times women will, celebrate themselves with food.
Speaker 1
You know? Right. And alcohol. Yeah.
Speaker 2
And things like that where we don't indulge in things that are just like I love this ring, and it just brings me so much fucking joy. Yeah. Beautiful. Yeah.
Speaker 1
And I'm Amazing.
Speaker 2
Not a thousand dollars or anything like that. And I'm just like I think we we are I carry a lot of guilt about indulging in things for myself. I feel, for some reason, very guilty or not worthy or something of that. And I think I think there's a a thing about women needing to sell it. We need to celebrate ourselves. We need to have permission to celebrate ourselves and have that not be seen as selfish. So, anyway, it's gonna be fun. I'm gonna come and hang out with friends and meet members, and I don't know I don't know if I'll have books, but I'll sign some books. Oh, yeah. You will. And celebrate.
Speaker 0
And celebrate. Yeah. Why do you think the National Menopause Show is so magical? Like, for women that haven't been there before.
Speaker 2
I can tell you why. It's that vulnerability thing. We're all there saying, oh, fuck. Someone help us.
Speaker 1
I'm a disaster. Somebody tell me. Help me. Please.
Speaker 2
Yeah. I I think, you know, when Angela, organized it first came to me I mean, she's very smart. She's a smart business lady. She jumped on it. The conversation really exploded. Right? Yeah. I I I say, like, I did a menopause add on, and I was like, okay. This is gonna be, you know, big money and whatever, but this is not my lane. This is just, you know I just try to stay in my lane. And putting on these events is her lane. And I think if you can get, like I like, with weight loss, for example, we have a place and a space where we're all working towards this common goal. And I think with menopause, it creates she's created a place and space where we can come and talk about this thing that connects all of us. Mhmm. And, oh, I remember last year, remember Joan from Train With Joan? Yeah.
Speaker 0
Yeah. Oh my god. I died.
Speaker 2
Insane. So, you know, yeah, it's just, it's I think it opens up the door for women to have conversations and connect. That's what we're there for. Let's talk about menopause or wherever you're at or what you're struggling with. And I think that anytime you have an opportunity to bring women together I've done a lot of com I've gone to a lot of conferences and stuff, and I find, you know, you come with your friends. It's pretty cliquey, there's no, like, you're not really walking away and being like, oh, I'm so glad I did that. You know? You're like, okay, whatever. And it's always a great day. The menopause show is always like,
Speaker 1
I think to you I know it's pretty grueling, like, for for you know, we're there all day last year both days, and we're interviewing, interviewing, and talking to people, and
Speaker 2
yet Yeah.
Speaker 1
I leave energized. Right? And I think it's to your point. Right? It's it's that shared vulnerability, connecting with people who are know exactly what you're talking about without even having to talk about it. Mhmm. And getting excited about, you know, it's all evidence based information tools, both. Right? It's just it's such an incredible opportunity, I think, just to get Well, if you think about it back to your point.
Speaker 2
Back to your point. I think you guys you guys are so great, is that there's so much inform it's what's happening right now. It's like it's craziness out there in social media, and there's no context. There's no nuance. Mhmm. And, like, you can't really that's what I love about my program is because you you have a psychologist come on for an hour and talk specifically about something and share their knowledge, and you don't get that. Like, you go to a psychologist and you have your session, you're learning about yourself. Yeah. But not the rhyme and the reason and the why and the the learning. There's not a lot of learning happening at our age, just bits and pieces context missing in the conversation. Right? Like, I think Mhmm. I think that there's a lot of resources available, but there's also not a lot of resources available that give the women the information they need to the extent that they need it.
Speaker 1
Agreed. Well, thank you. Agreed. Yeah. And thank you. I appreciate really appreciate that.
Speaker 2
I love you guys. Also, you're really cool and fun to hang out with. So Oh,
Speaker 1
I can't wait to see you in October.
Speaker 2
Well, I can't wait. I can't wait to see. I I, you know, I I think you it's like you guys you're intentional. You're there. You wanna have the conversation. And I I don't think you realize the impact that you have on that event when you see you guys running around and
Speaker 0
big smiles on your face.
Speaker 2
And that blouse you had, I don't know. Oh, make it That's my I need that blouse that you wore last year. But it's I say energy and vibe and, you know, I I'm into I just wanna talk with people who I feel connected to. I wanna have inspired conversations. I wanna, like, you're Yeah. I'm changing my vibe to put it out there, and this is what you get back. So if anyone's listening considering to go to the menopause show, you definitely have to come and check out these ladies and and say hi and
Speaker 1
And Gina.
Speaker 0
And and Gina. Check out Gina. And all the great people that are there.
Speaker 1
All the great people.
Speaker 0
Gina, what's the one thing you want everyone to know about living lighter in perimenopause?
Speaker 2
Oh, gosh. It's not, living lighter it's interesting because living lighter came about as just something when we were, talking to our members about weight loss and we're working on, like, a, marketing campaign. And we were talking about living lighter, and everyone who we asked about their weight loss journey, no one talked about their weight loss journey. They talked about, feeling better in their relationships, more confident, doing things that they never thought they were capable of doing. And I was like, woah. This is like there's so much to this, and that's why I wanted to call the book Live Lighter. In fact, I might change the name of my podcast to Living Lighter. Living Lighter is not it's just it has nothing to do with the weight of it's the weight you carry. Right? Whether that's guilt or, you know, you don't feel worthy or, you know, you can feel the life that you want to live, but you don't know how to get there. It's it's just like making more choices that are more in line with who you are and what you want in life, and it's not any more complicated than that. I'm not looking to, you know, complicate the conversation. I'm looking to simplify it. If you already feel that there's a different way for you to be living, then you already should be living that. And there's no reason why you can't. So I'm really I'm this that's my intention is, like, how can I truly design the life that I wanna live in the most simplistic way? Living lighter is when you think about your life and you feel lighter, not bogged down and heavy and weighed down and stressed.
Speaker 0
Cheers to that. Yeah. And every conversation, after I talk with you anytime, I always feel lighter and inspired. So I can't wait to read the book. Thank you,
Speaker 2
Kina.
Speaker 1
Same. Thank you so much. You. And can't wait to see you in October.
Speaker 2
Well, thanks for having me. You guys know I would love to talk about this. We gotta we gotta connect. I I we gotta connect. We gotta hang out. I'm looking forward to seeing you in October.
Speaker 1
Thanks so much for listening to the show. If you like what you hear, please subscribe and write a review.
Speaker 0
So more women can find us and get a better understanding of what to expect in perimenopause.
Speaker 1
This information is not intended as medical advice. The intent of this information is to provide the listener with knowledge to support more efficient and effective communication with their medical provider.
