The Livy Method Podcast - Chase the Dream At Any Age

Episode Date: July 21, 2026

At midlife, a lot of us quietly decide the big dreams are behind us. Janette Ewen didn't get the memo. In the first episode of Summer Club, the designer and lifestyle expert (25 years on CTV, NBC, and Canadian daytime TV) talks about becoming the "queen of the pivot": losing her business in the pandemic, finding boxing and racing track in her midlife, and training toward a Masters triple jump because she can. She and Gina get into why "you're allowed to change" is the whole point, how to hold onto one healthy habit when the others slip, and why the best advice for reinventing yourself is to just go and do it. Hopeful, funny, and a little defiant. Where to find Janette Ewen:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetteewen/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fluffnstufflifeFacebook: JanetteewenThis podcast aligns with Day one of our Summer Club, members can find video in our Livy Method app or Summer Club Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/livymethodspring2026 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm going to be honest with you, this podcast is unapologetically a hot mess because that is what midlife feels like sometimes. Why, though? And how do we make it better? Do we all just need facelifts and gLP ones? I mean, let's talk about it. No bullshit, no wellness wangery here because we're trying to make real change and change is hard. But we're in this together. Welcome to the Living Method podcast.

Hey there, before we get into our conversation today and no doubt it's going to be great, I want to remind you. I want to remind you that we have the most amazing weight loss program and maintenance program on the market. And our next live session for the fall is on sale right now. But if you don't want to wait until the fall, you can sign up today by joining our membership. For more information, go to liby method.com. I already know this is going to be a great conversation today. It's going to be super fun because this woman is fun. Jeanette Ewan is joining me today. She's an award-winning designer, creative director, and lifestyle expert who spent more than 15 years. sharing her expertise on major networks, including CTV, NBC.

She's everywhere from style and design to beauty, travel, fitness, and living well. She brings a fresh, fun, and relatable perspective to everything she does. And the questions that we have for you, Jeanette, are totally reflective of this. Hi, welcome. Thank you so much for having me. This is so fun. So, Jeanette, we were just discussing in the back room here. Like, we've, I don't think that we've ever actually met in person.

I don't think so either. I mean, I don't go out. long. I'm just teasing. I don't, I'm not like super like event type of person. So I don't think I haven't met you in person, but I followed you forever and just admire you. And I love your approach to life and nutrition, health, dieting, fitness, all of that. I think it's very healthy and sustainable. And that's something that's just been always personally important. I mean, so I've always had a lot of respect for you. Interesting. Well, and way back at you, I, I, I described you in my checking video today, just letting people know you're going to be here.

It's kind of quirky and going to a beat of your own drum. I don't know exactly what the saying is, but you're so unique. You're so different. I want to talk to you about how you really own that. But when you do talk about your love of health and fitness and following me, where does that come from? Honestly, from my parents. So my mom has always been, I mean, we're from Poland, right? So I think sometimes when you have less or come from like having less, you actually eat a little like healthier.

Like we didn't grow up with fast food. My mom made all our meals. I always say she's like accidentally made me healthy. And then she always wanted us in sports because she didn't have the opportunity to play those when we were kids. And then my dad on the flip side, may he rest in peace, was not healthy with his food and stuff, which is crazy because his parents were like two of the healthiest people. I've ever met. My grandmother was a few days short of living to 100 and she like died in her sleep, full brain there, full healthy. But she was into all things like cod liver oil. This is like back in the day too. They lived in the north of England so she would cold plunge in the North Sea.

They never owned a car. They walked everywhere. My grandfather and they both like kind of went through like hell during the war and stuff like he before. He lived till I think he was 94, or riding his bike still. And I saw this, like, healthy side of life. And then I saw other people who I loved and cared about not be healthy. And so it's not like I even say I'm healthy. Like I was just saying to you, I was pouring my diet Pepsi for breakfast. I'm full of chemicals.

Like, I struggle with, like, eating healthier. I've had weight fluctuations and stuff. I think the one thing I can say is consistent with is fitness in my life. Yeah. And I always say it. people like if you have one of the pillars like hang on to that one don't lose it and then work on the others so that's kind of a long answer i think definitely my mom though to this day she's still like walks every day swimming i'm meeting her to do a weight routine with her this weekend i love that

she just really made it just part of your lifestyle yeah well you grew up i mean when did you start doing the tv stuff because you know my recollection is you were pretty young like i remember you with the short blonde hair. You were on all the design shows. Like, how old would you have been then? I was even before the short blonde hair, I had the long blonde hair and I would dress up like Grace Kelly. I would always like wear my hair up with pearls to try to make myself look older.

I was playing on TV because I never wanted to be on TV. I went, I worked in magazines mostly as an assistant. And then Rogers, like, created this new design magazine and they're like, we want you as the face. And I didn't really understand what that meant, but it means like, you're shaping the magazine, but you're also going to be sold.

Like you're going to be used on TV to promote it. They're going to do ad campaigns with you. And I was like in my mid-20s. So yeah, I started young. Before that I'd done like a couple of commercials and stuff for sports brands. Just in university, I got asked and I was like, oh, make some money. And when I was assistant at Shadilly and they used to make me be like the workout girl and stuff. But I never, never had a plan.

I kind of lie when you said 15 years. it's actually been 25. But I hear now when you're my age, you're supposed to knock like 10 years off your resume. I'm facing the old age discrimination lately. I'm like, now somebody apparently, I think it was my former assistant, took five years off my age online.

And I'm like, I'm sticking with it. Oh, I can't do that. People are like super sleuths because like I posted a video the other day of this like show my ex-husband and I used to host and I was younger. And people were like, no. Right? And it was like, and it was so long ago.

And people were like, wait a minute. You said you lost over 100 pounds. When was it? People were so skeptical. I'm like, you guys, I'm old. Like, I lost weight over 30 years ago because they were like, you're so young here. How could you have gained and lost weight? I'm like, oh my God.

I was like 27 to like 30 something in that video. Like I had a whole life before that. I love your approach to fitness and wellness because it's just kind of like you don't give a fuck. You're just focused on you. Where does that come from? Especially because you put it out there publicly. I think I didn't always post. It's interesting because I was always very active and played sports in high school.

Like I'm proud of this too. And I never talked about it before. Like I made varsity soccer in grade nine, one of two players. and that's when I was just 13, and there was five years in high school in Ontario, Canada, where I grew up. So I was playing against 19-year-olds. And I'm not a tall, big person. I played sports in university. I kept playing soccer until I was 30. But I never, I always like focus, I think because you didn't have to have this identity so much on TV before. And that's why, like, I even dressed with Grace Colley. That was my armor. Like, people didn't, would always be like, I don't know about your life. I didn't talk about that stuff. And then even in my short hair phase when I was like working in LA and stuff.

And I think that identity, I don't want to say politics, but identity became so important on social media around 2019. It's like I didn't understand it even. I'm like, everyone has a thing. Like this person's like, I'm size 12 and blah, blah, blah. This person was like, I'm body positive. This person's like, I'm fitness or I have endometriosis. And I was like, it reminded me, I swear to God. Like, remember our strawberry shortcakes and they all had a different pet?

Like their identity was their like thing. And I'm like, okay, like which one of my things do I pick? And I'm so private about some things like, you know, learning disabilities, learning abilities or whatever. I'm like, I don't want to just be known for that. So I screw it. In all honesty, I just started putting the fitness up because I didn't have a lot to show the last five years. Like I had really moved into event styling when the pandemic happened. So I was like, damn, I'm out of business.

And then because everyone, I did do spokesperson work, but all of a sudden you hadn't have an identity. I'm not a mom. I'm not a wife. And I'd get messages from PR firms. They're like, we love you, Jay, but we just can't work with you. So, I mean, I started working for like a moving company. I worked at my gym.

And I would sometimes post working at the gym, but like the guys that I was on the moving crew with, which actually would have made great Instagram, awesome Jamaican crew. I was the only girl. But I'm not going to post that. like they're like get that camera away from me so i just started posting my workouts that made some people really angry which maybe we can talk about later and then i backed off and then i started getting so many messages from people being like listen like i noticed you never tell anyone what to do you're not giving us workouts you just are moving and like yeah stuff yeah that made me move and i lost

like 50 pounds you got me healthy i had a gentleman who was like having a hard time uh recovering from hip surgery. He's like, I'm moving my feet and stuff again. And I realized there is not any money to be made or fame to be found in this, which I'm comfortable with, is that it's like, if you see something, you do it, right? Like, I love Arnold Schwarzenegger's son who does all the cooking and he like burns things all the time. And it's not on purpose. It's not for like rage rate. It's just like subtle and accidental. That is a food person I relate to. Like he just shows you making it. And that makes me instead of having like a frozen meal, go to the market and make something. So then I just started posting on my stories every night my workout, like bits and pieces of it.

And people like it. So that's kind of like how I started doing fitness. That's again, a very long answer. On Instagram, it wasn't like a purposeful like this is a marketing strategy. I've never, yeah, it's not profitable. It's just me working out. And my friends in L.A. are like, this is you just trying to pick. up men and piss on.

The ladies didn't like you. And I'm like, eh, not too far. If it's working, let us know. I want to, behind the scenes, Jeanette dropped Arnold Schwarzenger. And I was like, what? Are you following him?

You're keeping up with him? Like, why? That was so, so random. And then you just, you talked more about being into really longevity and health. Oh, big time. I've, since a child, I've been into longevity. I mean, I started using full body

moisturize her at the age of four. I, again, like my doctor, my great grandmother, she lived well into her 90s. And I was like, what did you do? What did you do? Yes. They were vibrant still.

They weren't just living a long life. They were living a good life. Yeah. And I really admire Arnold Schwarzenegger. I know he's not been a perfect man and he's honest about it. I've just always admired his transparency. And I think right now he just, he sees that we have a crisis in the world.

And he wants people to get healthy. wants them to be strong, but he does it in such. He's 80 now and he does it in such attainable ways. And he's really good friends, his training partner, not all the time, but like frequently. There's a very famous gold gym where it started in Venice. Yes. Really cool people there. And Mike O'Hern, he, I think, is four-time Olympian, Mr. Olympia.

His wife is amazing. She used to be the editor of Muscle and Fitness, Mona. And I just love their account. And they were so nice to me when I got a lot. a little bit bullied by some people online, which I laugh because, like, they were trying to bully, but it's kind of funny. And I just love that community. And I find that this Venice Beach goals, I've been there. It's a very early morning weightlifting club and Arnold's there and stuff. And when you go, it doesn't matter with what size, shape, what level you're at. They are the ones

that actually are, I think, more body positive than anyone, any group of people I've ever met. They're so welcoming and so supportive. And that's just like a world I want to be in right now because my business world, like I've shifted gears a bit, got very toxic and people were competitive and not nice. And I think the world, like the algorithm pushes negativity. And if I can, you know, follow these types of positive accounts that are kind of goofy and fun, like most people who are into body building, everyone thinks they're showy. They're like kind of a lot of like really nice tempered.

geeks. Sweet geeks though, not like the town that are trying to take us over. They're just like, they're just a good group of people. And I find that they aren't as hardcore as other like gym things. Like, they're pretty chill.

It's kind of like boxing. I box a lot. And the boxing clubs I go to are not like the fancy girls all in matching outfits. Bam, bum, bam. It's, there's no mirrors. There's people of all ages there. Like my, I've got to spar a couple times in made friends with Bob, who I just thought with Bob at Fortune Gym in L.A.

Turns out it's Robert Shapiro. Remember the OJ trial? Robert's true. He's, I think Bob must be 83 now. He was 78 when I met him or 76 when I met him. We always say Bob can crack in such good shape. Boxes like whatever. And, you know, I didn't know that was Robert Shapiro for like a year until he decided to host a birthday lunch for me and We're at this fancy restaurant and like Beverly Hills. And I'm just like, Barbara Shapiro. And I'm like, tell me about the trial. You knew, you knew, you knew.

It was that. Like just so I love those types of fitness worlds. I think I just like belonging and to something, right? And I think things got so divided and divided by that like personality trait or that identity, that this is a place where like everyone can go. Well, that's what I love about you. When I say you go to the beat of your own drum, you just, it exudes from you. You're not just following what everyone else is doing.

Tell me how you got flack when you first started doing fitness. Like what was happening there? Well, I just got an ass backwards. Like I put on a bunch of weight in, I'd say like I started gaining in 2014 to 2016. And people would be, oh, no, oh my gosh, for the first time in my life, I felt like financially secure. I'd arrived. My friends at the time, there was the word. They're like, you're yoloing. Because I was like traveling like crazy, eating at like my breakfast, I would have Starbucks deliver four egg bites and a frothy coffee. Lunch was delivered. Dinner was like at the polo lounge

in Beverly Hills and all I was eating so much like meat every day and drinking a ton. I was still working out. Yeah. So anyways, the wake went on. And it's funny in LA, nobody, everyone's like, like you know eventually like you got to the party's got to end but they had that level of concern like my business partners like jay's like he's like he's like you got to slow down there was a Korean rib place near and I would go get like 20 minutes and he's like maybe slow down a little he's like let's not drink for a month together like the LA people were cool but I was going back and forth between here in Toronto and in Toronto at the time I'm just going to say it now because it's canceled.

I'll tell for us, but CityLine was a show that I actually started on in 2006. It's a daytime chat show in Canada. Yeah. They got bought by Rogers. So Rogers and Canada is a big media corporation that gave me this magazine and they're like, you're going to go on TV, you're going to go on CityLine. Right, right. And then even in 2007, they switched hosts, right?

And the new host, she had, I believe, came from traffic or weather from the morning show. Yeah. And they wanted to retain the audience with a new host can be tricky. So in the intro, it was seen more as an ensemble. Like it was like, Jeanette, you in style, Ramsen Cacci Home. Like we had contracts and had to be on the show a lot more, right? So you build up this fan base. And when I moved to L.A. in 2010, I would still come back and do City Line, like maybe once a month.

So like, you're not as on as much. And then I just come back. And it's this episode with the Property Brothers, who I knew back in 2000. because they got their show the same year I got a show with Ty Pennington. And Ty Pennington was like the big focus. So like same network. Yeah, yeah. I remember Jonathan and Drew and I sitting at the bar at this like launch event being like,

well, we're the nobody's. And it actually works really well for them because there was so much focus on the show I was co-hosting with Ty that they absolutely ruined it. Not the network. I love the network, but the production company. Just like drove it like over did it and like drove it down. And no one was playing attention to Drew and John. And they really took control that I actually even like got their contracts from them and blacklined things out for them. And that no one, they were like, yeah, whatever.

But so I hadn't seen them since 2010. And in 2010, I was like, maybe. I don't like to talk weight, but maybe 115 pounds. I'm five foot four. I roll on a set. They're there. Have not seen them. I think I saw Jonathan.

Once in Vancouver, we grabbed dinner like in 20. 12, but I had not seen them. And I was now 186 pounds. So I'm rolling to sea line. Sorry, my weight made, even pictures from that era, people would think you'd hate them. I just have this, like, round, happy face. Like, I am like this kid. Because also my parents were very strict growing up.

So I'd never, like, had all these things. So I was just, like, the happiest kid. Yeah. You were just enjoying life and whatever. Like, one, same thing. when I had gained over 100 pounds, I was like, it wasn't like I was a miserable person. I didn't even really noticed. I mean, it wasn't until someone said something to me that I was like, oh, shit, yeah, like super fit, working out, like going to school, doing all those things, right? Like, and so when

did you notice you, like, there was a problem? Well, I noticed the weight gain. It was exactly as you say, when people start telling you. And also, I was still, and I get protective of people who are all sizes. And I think this surprises people because I was still, I actually looked back and I was showing my trainer, my one strength and conditioning coach I've been with for 17 years. And we giggle about it because I was doing 16,000 steps a day then. I was still waiting weights. It was he, I'm like, I can't lose weight. He's like held up a sign that said stop drinking alcohol and better. But I think it was the people.

I didn't feel it until like that day I walked into City Line. And I walked in and Jonathan and Drew in Bress and we're like, great to see you. Like, just act because it is a shock if you haven't seen somebody. Yeah, five pound weight gain. The lovely Pachan was there. She did not bat an eye. But I'll tell you, the producers and stuff did, they were a bit funny about it. And I could feel the uncomfortableness in them.

And I went backstage and that's, like it kind of hit me in that moment. I was like, I don't want to go do this. show like I feel so uncomfortable now and jessica maruni was on the show who's a well-known stylist and i'd never met her before i knew her husband and she just like gave me this i was having like a panic attack and she gave me the kindest like pep talk we became friends from that and i just went out and was like i did the show now i laughed at it and i picked like the worst dress too and if you get the corners on certain shows like that's always where they put it and you're going to look the biggest. Like there's better angles. And they gave me like the worst angle.

So I look like 250. But I got to say this, not one person from the public said anything, nothing. Just then what happened is CityLine started doing their weight loss challenge, which was a big thing they would do back then. And it was like a thousand calorie a day diet. Yes. Everyone on the show was on it. And they really started pressuring me to do it because that would have been the big thing. Like, you know, Jeanette came back fat and now we got her. And I was like, no. And that's when I went and talked to my coach. I was like, okay, I want to lose weight.

And he goes, okay, how long did it take you to put it on? I'm like, two to three years. He's like, we're going to take it off in two to three years. Whoa. And he's like, we're going to do it the right way. And he's like, also you've been lifting weights. So this, and this is why I love bodybuilders. They're like, this is the ultimate bulk.

So mass moves mass, right? So I was bigger, but I was lifting more and doing heavier weights than I ever had. So when the weight started coming off, it was like taking. this block of marble and chiseling it out. And what was underneath? I was like, damn. So to me, no regrets. No regrets whatsoever. My only regret is financial because CityLine then in 2020, to go back to circle the story of when the harassment started about working out, they all were like, body positivity, eat what you want, drink what you want, take the cookie, health at any size. And they actually did a show where they said,

unfollow people who make you uncomfortable and they showed hashtags for fitness. And I was like, then all of a sudden I think, because I was on CityLine, I started getting like, you're giving people eating disorders. You are a horrible person. Because I'd gotten pretty chiseled at this point. Little did they know. I'm like working construction, working for a moving company, boxing together with the stress because I've lost all my money because of the pandemic. I'm like, yeah, this is awesome. they it was it felt and it still there's people who are body positive who are unkind towards me because they think I'm pushing something I have can show you tons of reports on Instagram for pushing disordered eating which I've never like shown what I've never done like you never show what you

eat I mean I eat craft dinner like I don't want anyone to know I don't want I do like I have no money diet for three years. Like, I can live off of like $6 a day. It's not healthy. You know, those mini pizzas you make on an English muffin with cut up dogs and stuff. Like, yeah, like I did that. I buckled down. Have a good business now. So I'm not, don't want anyone thinking about failure over here. But yeah. So I like, I just said I didn't ask backwards. If I had gotten fat in 2021, I would have made so much money. Even the host recently said she's like, I get paid. for my belly. I got fat when everyone was like thin, like that's still in. And now everyone's like saying like thin is back or whatever. It's an epidemic. I'm like no, like 65% of Canada is overweight.

Yes. And I feel for people with eating disorders, but eating disorders do not have a body type. Yes. You're right. And sometimes like I'm looking at like now I'm just going to gossip because we can. Like I'm looking at Karen Osborne and her daughter. And I'm like, I mean, I've been a around the block a few times. I don't think that's ozempic and everyone's name as them, but it could be like codependency, drug addiction. But you don't know, like they've gone through a significant death. They've both dabbled in that. When people, people don't think about the psychology behind these things, they're just lumping together 10, 10 to 15 who are extremely thin. And they're like, this is an epidemic, this is this, this is that, critiquing

these women's bodies and then slamming thin women entirely across the board. And I'm like, stop it. Like you all are doing exactly what you said you don't want people doing to you. And it's this like turf war of sizes. And to round out this, I always come back and I'm like, I've been every damn size. Yeah, same girl. Same. I got all my jeans are like different same jeans, different sizes. Can I get sort of club pass for that? Like, and also where's my profit? I've walked in all sizes. Girls got to make money. There's no context to anything out there.

I mean, it's the same. We see celebrities who are at one size and we don't see them for months and months and months and then all of a sudden they've changed. It's hard to keep, it does mess with your brain, though, when you're seeing that out there, right? And I love that you just are doing you and you're putting out there. I got the same. I got a lot of, because the diet industry has evolved. When I first started these groups that I was doing in 2018, my program's all

about healthy. Like it's all, I don't use diet dialogue. We're trying to lose weight in the healthy way. People are putting the time in like you put in. And I would get hate mail from people saying, oh my God, I can't believe you're selling a diet. And I can't, I'm like, yeah, but people do want to lose weight. And there needs to be a healthy way to do that. And that's what I'm sharing. But, oh, yeah, I would get like hate DMs and people would know nothing about me. They just randomly see a post. And you're allowed to want to change, right? Like, I think you need to love yourself right now today, always as you are and you're allowed to change. And let's just not comment on any women's body at the time.

A thousand percent. And I love that you say you're allowed to change. That is the biggest thing. I lost friends. I think because I'd been like lean before, but I'd never been with visible muscle, right? And then I found boxing. And boxing is going to build muscle.

And it's going to do things like give you abs. And then I got like, you don't have children because you have abs, this and that. Or even I hate when people say abs are made in the kitchen. I'm like, abs are also made in the boxing gym. I have a layer of fat over my abs and you can still see them. My waist is bigger now than when I first lost weight again because my abs are wide, because I need to get her punched in the stomach because I go to the gym and my coaches punched me in the stomach or they hit me with a stick in my stomach.

But there was something to boxing. I had gone through some stuff as a child that no kid should have happened to them. I had not dealt with it. It would seep out in ways in my life that I didn't like. And I don't know why a friend recommended boxing, not knowing this, there is something in boxing and they're studying it now. For even people with like brain injuries, obviously it's boxing. You're doing the hitting and the rhythm. No one's hitting your head if you're trying to fix your own brain.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Just clarify that. But there's something. to the movement and the repetitive and the focus of it. And it just changes you as a person. But then I started getting like my, I love that I'm outing people on this. My supposed best friend is actress, like successful, stunning, whatever. She hit her 30s around then, but she's never been fit and healthy and I don't mind saying this now because she was mean. She said to me, those are my legs. Your legs are my legs. Those are the legs I should have. And then it,

As I started working for the construction company and the moving company, I'm getting more and more shredded. And I'm dealing with my dad's dementia. I'm worried about my mom, like, stressed to the gills about money. And I'm just getting hate online and hate from friends being like, and she eventually is like, I can't be your friend. I can't be your friend anymore because of my body. And she's like, you're putting ridiculous pressure on me.

And I want to say to her, I'm like, you own a home. I rent. you are way younger than me. And like, I've given you great advice about your career so you don't make the same mistakes. I've had women come after me. I'm like, you have kids. You have a husband. Like, you have a new car. Like, not that I take stock of this stuff, but I started being like, if I thought like them and was envious of everything that they had that I didn't, it would be like everyone would hate each other. And I also don't, like I've just said that to you about my child, I've not told that to anybody.

I don't want it all of a sudden make my workouts being like, I have, I'm a little open now that I did go through a pretty bad depression after my dad died and fitness saved me. But it's, I don't feel that I should have to justify my fitness either. And what very few people have caught is that in every single one of my videos, you will see a little chub hanging over my waistline. My God, my neck, I always am like, my neck is aging so fast. Even my dermatologist is like, my mom's like got that like darker Polish skin. My dad was like the whitest British man alive.

She's like, you are your father from here to here. And I'm like, I know. I don't like filter that out. Like you can see it bending. When I bend, like yes, I'll have abs. But when I bend, you see loose skin. I'm older, right? Yeah.

We have hip dips, which I didn't even know what hip dips were until like somebody pointed them out on Instagram. I don't point out all of those things in my videos, but I leave them in. because I think that's true body neutrality. Yeah. That is just like, this is who I am. And I know I want people to see that like humans move around and stuff. Like it's not this overly filtered thing.

But it pisses me off, I'll be honest, because at the same time, a lot of people who are making money from this, whether they're super fit or larger body positive bodies, they filter and edit their bodies. And I don't. And I'm just like, come on, man. Like I didn't do anything for the longest time because I was terrified because in 2020 when people are getting canceled, they're like, don't filter. So I just was like, oh, God, because I would put my camera on and I'm like, God, I am hideous.

Like I don't have these big eyes and smooth skin like you see every line. They're all freaking filtering. Now I use an 11% soft focus on my shit. I'm like, fuck you. I will not edit my body because I don't feel the need to. But my face is aging. I want a facelift. I'm saving.

I want this all snatched up. And not necessarily because I think I like, oh, or whatever. If I had a rich husband and a retirement fund, I wouldn't be worried about this. I got another like 20 years of work in me. I am basically like a 30 year old financially. And I got like, so it's like, oh God, oh God. I mean, I'm just, I think I'm just sick of the social media. Now I'm just, now I'm turning you.

to my therapist. I'm over it. I'm like, you're all that are lying. I know. I didn't, I took it so seriously before. I'm like, oh, my God, this is giving people body smearth, which it does. Like, you say people switch up a look. Like, sometimes I'll see some of these people that I know are liars. And then I'll see them in person and be like, God damn it. You're making your money off of authenticity. Come on. First of all, I love the 11%. I don't know. I like same. I don't use filters either because I want to meet my community. And when I meet that, I don't want to be like, so there is a girl I followed on Instagram. And I just loved her content.

She was like, she loves animals and she would travel and she looks super cute, great for her age. Well, I saw her in person. And I was like, no, that, no, that is no. That is not the same woman that I was like idealizing as how I want to look when I get older. Because she must have been using all, that must have been like face. tune years, like where they were just totally just doing everything. Because then when I saw in real life, I was like, what? No.

Oh, yeah. It just like shifted everything. I work a lot on morning televisions, like a fair bit still or like live TV. Yeah. And, you know, you'll get the good studios like Cityline. Like they had butter on the lens there. Like that is a very, city TV is a very generous. So when you know you look rough on City TV, you're like,

I look rough. Like Barbara Walters used to do that, remember? She was practically blurry. You could hardly, by the end of her interviews, you could barely see her because the lens, they smeared all the butter all over the lens. And also if they have camera people, right? Because then they can adjust it to height.

Global? Global TV, I think Toronto is still, they have camera people. And actually one of the best study cam guys in the businesses there. But globals out west have, they're on robots, right? And it's geared to the height of the host. I have to learn like the host's height. Like do I wear like an eight inch platform? Right.

Because otherwise you're like, excuse you. And you look like in the light. Okay. And I got to say there is a wonderful host on CTV Kitchener, evening news, Leanne. Her lifestyle segments are shot in. It's basically the lunchroom, right? It's a really nice design,

but they've got this gorgeous tabletop. But it is natural light. And sometimes you feel. You tape there at 1 o'clock in the afternoon with the sun on your face. So I had someone on Reddit come after me and they're like, man, she looks like garbage here. She looks so different. And I was like, I actually, truthfully, just before I cut out drinking, I was hung over. I was putting on weight again.

I had like a blip. This is during my depression. I'm like, yeah, I look like shit. But it's like I'm also in these like extreme conditions. But I think that prepared me to be like, oh my God. like sometimes you just look like bad and if I raise the bar so high on like Instagram like I could like I work for hair guy could slap in some extensions a great wig tons of makeup you know there's like that sticky tape you can stick it and like snap your neck

back I could do all that and then when people saw me and I like sometimes you know go on a date from someone I've met from Instagram I would not be leaving my house It is anxious enough already for me to be around. I'll never forget, greatest compliment, when I on a date with one of my favorite comedians, right, asks me out, I go to meet him. And he must have been catfished a million times because he just kept saying, you're real.

Yeah. That's a compliment. But I like look, I don't even like think about age, but I look like me, but I've had like an upper eye lift. I've had like this thing where they go in and they suck your skin out, your fat or your neck. And then as they pull back in, they laser and snap it up. But the only thing with that is I love it. But sometimes like this would look snapped.

I went, I had it done during the pandemic. And then I like ran out of money and didn't do my neck. And I went back on TV. I just called my assistant that worked me at the time. And she saved the message. She's like, I'm like, oh my God. You can so tell I had my face done and I ran out of money for the neck. And I'll send you the clip.

It is like jarlingly obvious. Like this was, I had everything. This was like, and then this was like, so I think that, yeah, to go back to the filters, I just was like, this isn't a choice. And you know what? I'm a petty bitch too. I do enjoy now some of the people that were like, don't filter. It's bad.

Diet culture. This. That posting about how like they get their picture done. and they're like, I didn't recognize me. And I'm going to post it. I'm afraid to post it, but I will. Of course they get all, oh, you're so brave for doing that. I'm like, well, had you not been filtering your chin into a perfect point in your neck this big.

Yes. You'd see this wouldn't be such a goddamn shock. Like, I can't even have a glass of wine now without getting like a dent in my head the next day. Like, I have a slight dent because I had one seltzer on the weekend. And it's just like, I mean, it's a mission. I'll take weight gain over aging. day. That's another thing. If you are like on the like I love working out now and it's found my I found my mental health through it. And then I discovered from boxing that I love track. And I don't call it losing weight.

I call it cutting weight, which is more of a fitness term. Yeah. Old school. Old school. Yeah. You will cut and gain weight depending on your sport. Yeah. Right. So like you look like, oh like my favorite shot putter. I love her body. Like she is gorgeous, strong, covered in tattoo. who's like, Chasey's just like the coolest person ever. I died when she followed me back. And she has like great skin and great, because she's got like a bit more meat on her bones.

I like boxing and I, I suck so bad my feet that they're like, we got to get you down to here for you to have a chance because I have a long reach and good cardio. And I'm fighting against girls. They're like 25 years younger than me. So it becomes this game of like biometrics. Like how can we use these things of your bodies and your ability

so you don't get like killed. Yeah, yeah. Like I had to get my weight down to that I'm like four inches taller than the girls. And it wasn't undoable for me. Like I didn't. And actually a friend of mine, he's a professional fighter, wrote a book about the pressures for men losing weight. And when you do compete in too low of a weight that it can trigger eating disorders

and stuff. Yeah. The coach is like, you used to weigh this when you were, like, this isn't unreasonable. And we can do it without you losing muscle. But then a track coach got. a hold to me. And this crazy thing is I don't pay, I'm not, I'm not paying these people. They're just like, you have this like passion for sports. And he, this has been mind blowing. He's like, he wants me to be my university track record because he wants to show that age doesn't

matter so much, which I think is really cool. I love that. So for, he wants me to do the 200 meters. And then he's like watching and looking at my body. He was watching the way my muscles twitch. took a DNA sample, sent it some university in Scotland. I'm like, who are you? Who is this person? And he's like, you're built for triple jump. And I'm going to get you to the masters because, and he's like laying out, it's not like you're this like secret athlete, right? He's like, you've trained your whole life. You've only had like a couple of like ATV accidents that didn't mess me up too bad. And I snapped my ankle once boxing but healed it well. Most triple jumpers are out of the game.

Like people who ran the 200 meters like in the Olympics and stuff, they're still going at Masters like 50 level, right? Triple jump like you are, you kill your legs. Like you're like, so he's like, I can get three years out of you before you're dead. And you have these long legs short torso or whatever. So he came up with this exact weight and way the weight should be. And then it's so interesting because from. My right side was one inch larger than my entire left side.

So we've been rebalancing that. And I just been doing these like drills. He's Russian. I'm like, I'll do whatever. Like I don't even know what I'm doing. And I wasn't doing my other normal exercises. But then I went to go visit my kickboxing coach in L.A. And he's like, oh, just come do some pull-ups.

I was like, oh, I haven't done those in years. I won't be able to do them. And I just hammered them out so easy. And it's because we kept my muscle so high and got my body fat low. and not to like an unhealthy way, but also I'm of an age, like, I'm not trying to get pregnant or like whatever. And it's like also, I'll stop talking after this, I swear. Sometimes people also, and this is why I get mad at people who are like diet culture and stuff and I don't talk about this is that now I'm in my mind's eye an athlete. Like my local gym, they're like, they're calling you up any day now, Jay.

I'm like, I know it. But it gives me a goal. And I need that goal right now for my emotional well-being. And there was some things in my life like that kid stuff I dealt with held me back as an athlete in high school and university. Like I would get so far and then I would be like, no, I'm not allowed to go further. And I think these coaches, because honestly, like I don't know how I have Manny Pacchio's strength and conditioning coach in L.A. Like he's just like, I wish I could put your heart into my fighters. I like working with you.

This track coach is like when I figured out who he was. He's just here dodging the war. I was like, oh, my goodness. These are elite level people that I think maybe, and I don't want to put this on them, understand something happened, and they want to fix it for me. So I'm like, okay, so maybe I'm now of an age that I want to go after that dream that people could say it's ridiculous. But I'm going to do it.

And if it means like playing with my body, like it's a science project, that's my right, right. right? Can I just say, first of all, I love that you brought that full circle. Jeanette, because I was reading the comments today and there are women who are like, oh, I just like pulled my bike out and I haven't been on years or I want to start running again and I haven't done it for years. And I think it's great to have hopes and dreams and go for it. Even if it's completely unattainable, I think hope is so important. And women are here to make change, right? And sometimes we make excuses for wanting to make change. I mean, people want to lose weight. Yes, you can call it a healthy lifestyle program, whatever you want,

but ultimately you want to lose weight. Lose the weight. If you want to start doing track again, start track again. Before we go, because we do have to go, if I was to sum you up, you're like the queen of the pivot. The unapologetic queen of the pivot. Not like the choice ever. I would have loved to still be in magazines in a corner office with a retirement fund. This was not my plan.

Okay, then the reinvention of yourself. So many women, they're midlife, they're like, what am I doing? Fuck, I used to do this when I was young. I missed the boat on that. I want to find purpose. I want to do something. And the changes that they're making while they're trying to lose weight. Like, we're doing real work, not just physical, mental, we're working through issues,

associations, traumas, all of that. If you could sum up your advice for the women watching or listening in terms of like, how do you reinvent, how do you pivot, maybe more, how do you embrace that? What can you say to the women who are on that journey? I have two bits of advice. Number one is find a good coach or person like you. That is the key is have a mentor, have a guide. Have it, not a mentor, have a guide, have a coach or an expert like yourself to guide you because that keeps you on track.

100% without that I would not be doing this. And how do you embrace it? I, I, I, you know what, you deserve it. Like whether you've raised your kids or are raising them or work like crazy or do both, or taking care of your parents to at the same time, like, we take on so much. You deserve this one thing for you. You deserve to have these goals.

We are not to find, I always say to people think of me like a dude, because a guy would go out, I have a friend right now, he's 67, and he's going for his fourth Olympics and sailing. Yeah. And I think he's going to do it. And it's going to be like a huge story.

And it's like, why do women do we stop? And like, what age is it that we stop? And why do we stop? Why do we stop giving our, ourself something that makes us happy that isn't like shopping or which I mean if you want to turn that into something else of course but I'm saying like why can't we give ourselves that one thing that was our dream when we were a kid or our dream now like don't stop and you can do these things and it doesn't mean you have to be like the best like I'm not going to the Olympics for triple jump

but I'm going to go to a senior track and field tournament and I'm hoping I get a bronze like you know I mean, you, and having that goal will keep your mind healthy and not depressed and not overthinking. Like, it will change how you see the world and yourself, I think. It's that confidence is built by doing. It's not how we work. Yes. Oh, my goodness. I absolutely love that.

And yeah, Tony and I are going for like the seniors pickleball champions, right? Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. And even if we may never make it there, we are going to have fun trying to get there. Jenette, you and I adore you. I'm so happy that we connected and we're able to have this conversation.

We're friends now, whether you like it or not. We're friends for. If you want to follow Jeanette over on Instagram, you can do so at Jeanette, you and that's E-E-W-N. You can also follow her fitness stuff over on TikTok, fluff in stuff, life. Honestly, thank you so much. I absolutely adore you.

Thanks, everyone who joined us live, listening after the fact. Stick around after Jeanette. We'll make sure you upload. Have a fantastic day, everyone. We'll see you tomorrow. Bye.