The Livy Method Podcast - Confidence, Style & Your Changing Body with Tanya Gelsomino - Winter 2025

Episode Date: March 28, 2025

What you wear is more powerful than you think. In this episode, Gina is joined by Livy Loser and fashion expert Tanya Gelsomino from Yaya & Co. to talk about how fashion is deeply connected to self-confidence, identity, and transformation—especially while losing weight. From the emotions behind letting go of old clothes to the overwhelm of shopping in new sizes, we get real about how to feel good in your skin at every stage. Plus, Tanya shares how "dopamine dressing" can lift your mood and how to focus on fit over numbers on the tag. Whether you're in the middle of your journey or stepping into a whole new you, this episode is all about feeling confident in every chapter.You can find the full video hosted at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/livymethodwinter2025Find Tanya and Yaya & Co.:www.yayaco.ca@yayaandco@tanyanicole_0033To learn more about the Livy Method or to sign up for the Spring 2025 Program, visit www.ginalivy.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm Gina Livi and welcome to the Livi Method Podcast. This is where you'll have access to all of the live streams from my 91 Day Weight Loss program. With a combination of daily lives, guest expert interviews, and member stories, there is something new almost every day. Miss the Morning Live? Want to relisten to one of our amazing guest experts? Well, this is the place.

This podcast is hosted on Acast, but it's available on all podcast platforms, including the one you're listening to right now, Spotify, Apple, and Amazon music. This is an opportunity to become curious. And then some things, how do we help you feel less overwhelmed so you can continue on your journey? Keep believing in yourself and keep trusting the process. Just be patient.

Confidence, style, and your changing body. That's, I mean, this is what we're calling this conversation. Tanya Gelsomino is back. She's one of our beloved members. She knows a thing or two about fashion. It's pretty much been her life. It's in her blood. It's in her family as they own a few stores. Yaya and Co, one of my favorites being one of them. She's back. Hi, everybody. I'm excited. Always good to be back.

You know, I'm excited too because I just, I've been talking about as you're coming on last couple days, I'm just in love with this conversation. Like many of our conversations with our guest experts, you can't even really say what it's going to be about because it always is so much more than that. And when I first had this conversation with you, you own a couple of clothing stores, you, clothing stores, you go on social media and you show your outfits and you do all of that. You're so much more than that. And the first time I had this conversation, I just thought, what are we going to do? We're going to talk about what are we going to do with our clothes that fit? How do we make the most of our wardrobe

so we don't have to spend a lot of money on clothes and then we drop more weight and it ended up being so much deeper than that. This is why it remains one of my favorite conversations. What is your, like, what do you think about this conversation that we've had over the years? Personally, I think that it's a really great conversation to have because fashion, clothing, shopping, it could seem superficial, but really when you dig deep into it, it can play a huge role in our everyday lives. And I think that it's a lot more psychological than we realize. It really plays a big factor in how we feel about ourselves and

our confidence, how we embrace our everyday challenges. And it just it's something that you may overlook. But once you start digging deep into it, it's like, hey, hold on a second, I got to start taking care of what I'm wearing. Because that's really going to set me up for success. And I think that it's really important to have that conversation. I think once you grasp what that actually means, and why it's important, I think you become extremely powerful.

So yeah, I love this conversation personally. Yeah, because there's a couple things. There are people who are losing weight and their body is changing, but they are changing. They're changing their relationship with themselves, with other people. They're maybe gaining more confidence, shedding layers of like their past. And then there's the people who've lost their weight. And then when they go into maintenance, the conversation is all about getting to know themselves.

Like who is this new you? A lot of people don't trust themselves, they're unsure of themselves. It's really about embracing the new you. All the changes that you've made, becoming just who you are now. I sat in front of so many people who wanna lose a considerable amount of weight,

and I'm like, you know you're gonna need a new wardrobe at the end, and they're, oh yeah, I can't wait. Can't wait, can't wait. And then some people either are big, because financially that's a huge commitment that they're not really prepared for. They don't really think about that. I know there's thrift stores and there's things that you can do, but still and then there's just just like people who used to go into a plus size store and now they

got to go into this whole other you know place and space that they were always maybe looked at as like that's not for me or had their thoughts and feels about that. It's complicated. It's complicated. It's complicated. And there's so many like right there. That was loaded. There's so many layers to this. So it's really how you want to take it. What do you want to look at? Because it is true. Like, as you're losing weight, there's that challenge of just, what am I wearing? And what's fitting me? And what's's not fitting me and how do I get dressed in the morning and what am I buying and what do I need and that's incredibly chaotic. It can be, it doesn't have to be, but it can be and then when you are done it's this new chapter and how are you embracing that and how are you letting go maybe of some

things that you know you need to let go of so that you can move forward and where do you want to be, who do you want to be and where do you wanna be? Who do you wanna be? And how do you want people to see you? So there's so many, I mean, it just depends where you wanna go in this conversation because we can go in 20 different directions for sure. I'm thinking of a couple of ways to start. So one, I know that people dress sometimes to distract,

especially if you're in a larger body. I know like when I was carrying my weight, thank goodness those like tent dresses came in style. So I just like lived in those, like I lived in those overalls also at the time. Like I just lived in those, but you have lived in a larger body yourself. Let's talk about your experience

because the way you dress before changed from the way that you dress after you lost your weight? I think that the way that we dress can be ever changing. I mean, dressing can just be based on mood day to day. If you ask me what's your style, I'm not sure I can really answer that in a simple sentence. It just really depends how I feel, where I'm going, who I'm with. And I kind of change and evolve based on that. And I think that in different stages of your weight loss and or gain or what that is that transition, I think it's

just how you feel. Um, you know, do you want to stick with the basics, maybe? And you know, just, just go from there, like, you know, have your basic pieces and then maybe you can accessorize in a fun way like it's just it's it's it's all a full experience it really needs a little bit of thought process too but I think that that the most important thing before I get lost in my in my rambling here is just being confident and comfortable I think it doesn't matter what you wear you don't have to wear certain brands or you don't have to be super trendy if that's not you.

If you don't like flowers, that's okay. And if you love them, that's fantastic. It doesn't matter. It's about comfort. And I think once you're comfortable in your clothing, you become comfortable in your body. And once you do that, then you're gonna gain that confidence, right?

So that's the most important. I think really comfort is the first factor that you have to address. Well, my style is like whatever I can get away with wearing that feels like pajamas. That's like my personal style. That's how I feel too. I want to come back. I do want to get into loving your body as it changes, feeling confident in your clothes and all of that. But just to kind of sum up what you just said here, here's Cathy, I walk

into winners and I get so overwhelmed. I put things in the cart, I take them out of the cart and usually walk out empty handed. How do we deal with overwhelm? I'm going to stop with this right now because before you feel like Tonya is going into a sales thing for her store. This is what I love about the fact that she has done a program and she's one of our members, you walk into her store. And first of all, you share that and people will help you. And she's talked in the past about this is like I have an aversion to salespeople because I feel like they're

gonna try to sell me something and like, what are you looking for today? And whatever, when if I just, I really changed my whole perspective on that through Tanya in the sense of they want to help me and you're allowed to walk into a store and ask for help and also leave without buying anything. Like you can be like, hey, I've just lost some weight.

I wanna try on some new styles or I'm looking just for like some some everyday clothes, some staple pieces, and they will actually help you find pieces based on on your body, on your style. And I think I don't know if you're like me, but I never asked for help. I had to go to what was I doing? I can't know if you're like me, but I never asked for help. I had to go to, what was I doing? I can't remember. Oh, it was our Dragon's Den premiere party. And I was like, I need a dress.

I don't know. And then I went in there and I was like, baseball hat on. And I'm like, I'm talking. You're on the phone. I was talking to Sonia. I was like, what the fuck am I going to wear? I don't know. I'm so like, I literally was stressing with her. She's not even there.

And I'm on my phone with my friend Sonia and I'm like, I don't know what I'm going to wear. I just like, I don't know, like and stressing out. And then meanwhile, the salesperson comes over and she's like, can I help you? And I'm like, uh, yeah, sure. And then she handed me stuff I would have never, ever, ever picked out for myself. It was such a great experience.

So like, you don't have to feel pressured that you have to buy something just because the salesperson has helped you. Salesperson people are there because they want to help you find what looks great on you. You do that, maybe you'll buy something, maybe you'll come back. I mean, I know that sounds weird that that surprised me,

but I don't know, maybe I'm the only one. But- In this era of fast fashion and online shopping, I think there's been a big disconnect, especially in the retail clothing industry with actual help and customer service. And I think that that's why maybe a lot of people go to boutiques because you'll have that more one-on-one experience. Larger stores, like the

bigger brands, you're probably not going to get that. A lot of them actually advertise to not help customers. So I think when you're looking for that, you're going to want to look for a store that caters to that. So in our case, you know, we do want to get as much information as possible. Because the more you tell us likes, dislikes, maybe areas that you're not happy with, where you're going, what you do for a living, like these things help us and guide us. And remember, we, when we help you, we've already helped probably 50 people like you, similar to you. So we've already gone through the process

of trying things on for people with similar body types, similar age, and we've already done a little bit of the homework. So we can help guide you through that process. But I think that honesty with yourself as well, just really speaking about what you like and dislike if something's uncomfortable, it's better to say it than to not say it because it gives us information. And I think that we have to when

we go shopping. So let's say you are in a situation where you are going into winners. Personally, for me, I cannot shop in winners. It's overwhelming to me, even though I know my style, I know what I like. It's a little bit chaotic to me. So I prefer to go somewhere where things are kind of displayed already in outfits or kind of in a similar category. It helps my mind kind of organize better. So what I would say, though, when you are shopping, before you even go into a store kind of

have a plan maybe make a list of what you're looking for. So in a weight loss process I would always say like basic tanks are really good like just stretchy tank tops very simple um in your standard colors like nice neutrals work really well and then layering pieces cardigans blazers little uh button downs like this can be really helpful, because you can wear them open, you can close them, you could tuck them, you can belt them. And then you always have like, I just have this today, this shirt I've been wearing for five years, I absolutely love it, this little tank I've been wearing forever. I've gone through many size changes in that time period. And I've been able to use them over

and over again, and maybe how I style them will tweak them a little bit based on if I want to feature something or not. But it's been they've been a staple for me and I haven't been I haven't needed to reinvest. So I think having a plan. So you don't go into winners and start grabbing 20 different styles because once that's in your cart, do you need them? What do they serve? Do they match with anything? It could be a little bit confusing. So having a plan of what you actually need can help you, especially during the weight

loss journey. Number two, try them on. The luxury of shopping in a mall, in a store is that you can actually try clothing on. And when you're not sure about your size or you have a size in your head, just maybe bring a couple sizes in of every single thing that you're trying on. Because in the reality of clothing, not every brand is the same. And not every brand small fits the same. Depends on fabric, depends on make cuts and all these things.

So for me, I would bring in a couple sizes in each item so that you can have that flexibility to try when you're in there and be kind to yourself when you are trying these things because it's trial and error. But that's the joy of shopping in person. Online is a little bit more tricky. I would save the online shopping during, maybe after your weight loss,

maybe when you have a grasp on your sizing, but like shopping in person, the luxury, go grab a Starbucks, walk the mall, bring your bestie, like, you know, bring someone who supports you, your mom, your sister, whoever that is, that will uplift you and help keep you calm as you navigate the shopping. And take a break, go get a treat.

Like you know, don't feel that this has to be a job. Enjoy it. Take a day and enjoy it. This is about fun. It's about celebrating your milestones. Every 10 pounds, 5 pounds that you lose, be so proud. If you're treating yourself to something that day, find something you love and just try to take the stress out of it. Cause it could be really fun once you figure it out. I think that's it is like,

how do you take the stress out of it? Because people do get into their heads. Then you're so excited if you are, then you try something on maybe the sizes. Like I wear a small, medium, large, extra large, like I don't really go I go by how it feels when I put it on. I don't really look at the sizes. But if someone's excited finally to get into a large, and then the largest too small that can ruin

like their whole vibe. So you know, I love that you say take the stress out of it. and whether you are a high-end shopper Mid-tier shopper or you are a thrift shopper I think this advice goes for everybody like have a plan get in the right mindset So make it about celebrating yourself maybe discovering and being open to new styles I love that I love the experience of going into a store like yours and having someone if you don't know how to do that

or you wanna start from scratch, have them help you or be like, hey, I'm in between sizes. What can I get that I can wear like a shirt like that? I have so many of those shirts in like an extra large and then I just tie them up, leave them open. You know, like they've kind of grown with me, my higher end, my lower end. Same thing, right? Jeans are difficult though. Someone's talking about jeans. Now, I buy whatever, I can't remember the name brand I buy, but they actually like they're stretchy and they cover like a range of sizes.

And so I have the large pair and then I have the small pair. Sometimes they're tight, sometimes they're baggy. Like I just kind of like go with the look. But any advice for investing in jeans, especially while you're losing? I think while you're losing weight, don't go out and buy 10 pairs of jeans. I think that's just a little bit wasteful because you are going to lose. And I don't think you realize, even if you're not seeing the pounds on the scale go down, I don't think you realize sometimes how your body actually changes. I've experienced that personally, I didn't lose a pound and I lost two gene sizes. And I'm like, Whoa, if I had not that pair of jeans, I would have never known that. Um, but that was like a thrill for me. So I got a belt, put it on those jeans lasted me for a long time, no problem. So belts, belts are magic. I know

Gina, you don't like belts, but I love them and they hold up your pants and they can help you adjust during that loss. And you just keep tightening those belt holes and there's something about going down one belt hole that is extremely powerful and thrilling and I have a belt that I'm never getting rid of because it just shows my weight loss journey and I will hold that forever. So I mean back to the jeans, I think if you are, depends where you are in your loss, but nothing wrong with investing in a good pair of jeans. Make sure it has stretch.

I think that's really important. Most jeans are made with stretch right now. Also the baggier look is in and the high waist is in. So that's kind of beneficial in a sense because you don't really need like a super fitted, skinny jean, just get something with a little bit of stretch, even if there's a little bit of elastic in the waist, that can be really helpful. And then what I would say is, it's okay, as you're losing, you just get that belt and if they are a little bit looser, it's actually very flattering than

a super tight pair of jeans. So I would say invest in one. And jeans are very funny with sizing. So if you're trying jeans, just take the day to try jeans. And that's it, because jeans can range even within our store. You know, I have a few sizes of jeans in the same brand because they just have a little bit of a different stretch, each one of them, their waistline and their hip areas, they fit a little bit of different stretch each one of them, their waistline and their hip areas are they fit a little bit different and we all have a different body shape as well. So what's good for me might not be good for you. So it's just one of those things. Just try

it. And then when you find a really good one, remember something, jeans are something you can wear with almost any top. So that's like one staple that as long as you have one good pair that can carry your wardrobe pretty far. And then you just switch up your tops. So it can be a good staple for you, but just maybe one at the beginning. Yeah. Can we just get rid of sizes and look at them maybe as a guide, like as a guide or a range, like, like it's not defining that's your size and who you are. It's just that brand's guide. This is what they're small is like, this is what their largest like, like,

that it's just, it's just for you to know, if you try on the medium, and they're too small, go to the large, you try on the medium, and they're too big, go to the next size, like, I think we have to stop looking at, I don't know where that started. Don't let size define you. It doesn't matter. To be honest, in my closet, like you said, I have anything from a small to an extra large. Like I think even this shirt is extra. I have no idea. I just, for me, it's how it feels on a given day. You might wake up and feel like today I want something really fitted, really like I'm just

feeling really great in my body. I want something fitted to my torso because it's going to show my waist and how I'm feeling. You might feel like that the next day you really just want something oversized and you can embrace that. Oversize is great. I always say for me what's been my little trick, because I'm hair shaped. So I'm pretty hippie. And people don't realize that. And sometimes I'll be speaking with a customer and they'll be like, Oh, you wouldn't know. I'm like, girl, I'm like a size 30.

I'm like, I have hips. And they're like, Yeah, okay, you don't know anything. I'm like, I'll lift my shirt and show them that. Oh, my gosh, you're not lying. I'm like, see, it's just how you think. So what I do is I'll wear something fitted on the inside because I like the feeling of something nice and fitted. It's like a comfort thing for me. And then on the outside, it's that layering piece and it's really deceiving to the eye because you can look a lot more petite than you are just by having that

outside layer. And what's great about the outside layer is you can gain, you can lose, and it's going to work with you. So especially when investing in your staples, just getting that layering piece, that cardigan, that blazer, like you can grow and shrink and grow and shrink. As long as you have that nice fitted piece on the inside, you're gonna you're gonna see how that can play on the eye and make you feel really good because it's just like, it's kind of like a little security

blanket keeps you comfortable. And it looks great. I love that. I want to talk about this because my sister keeps telling me not to wear oversized clothes. Now that I've lost weight, you get comfortable in what you wear, it's hard to change. I mean, for so many reasons, like sometimes people, they are losing weight, they don't actually want to attract attention, but they are wearing bigger clothes

that almost attract more attention. Maybe people are nervous, they're not sure, like they might gain their weight back, so they still have, they're still wearing those clothes and might not be ready to even if you have the money invest in pieces yet. You lost a considerable amount of weight doing the program. What was that like for you going from like the larger sizes into the smaller side? Did you? Did you like what was your thought process with that? I think that one thing to remember

is the way that we see ourselves is not always, even if you've lost 50 pounds, you don't always see yourself as losing 50 pounds. You're still seeing that other person. Yeah. And your mind does take quite a while to catch up. And I feel like when I'm helping clients, a lot of people are very, very hard on themselves.

And these women are beautiful. Some of them I just envy, envy their figure. I envy how something looks on them because I know it doesn't look like that on me, but they still don't. It's my arms. It's my tummy. It's this. It's that.

Everybody wants what they don't have. So I would say, yeah, maybe your sister's right in the sense that she's telling you something. She's saying like, you're looking really great. Maybe like the oversized is you're hiding underneath it because you're unsure. Doesn't mean you can't wear oversized. I always love oversized, whether I was bigger or smaller. I love it. I just feel like it's a comfort thing and it's comfortable, but maybe like a less oversized, oversized, you know, maybe you're in a two extra large, maybe go down to an extra large and then you still get that oversized look, but maybe not too much. Cause I noticed sometimes even

with myself, I really love oversized and even, even me, I'm, I'm in the retail industry. My, my team will be like, Tanya, what are you wearing? And I said, well, I love in the retail industry, my my team will be like Tanya, what are you wearing? And I said, well, I love it. It's so big. But then sometimes you do look a little bit bigger, but you could still have the oversize in a smaller oversize. So I just think you can't be afraid to maybe experiment if you're not ready to size down and you're not ready to let go of that favorite dress or favorite shirt that you're wearing and you feel comfortable, that's okay. If you're comfortable, that's the most important. But maybe just go in a store and try.

You'd be really surprised what you can get away with when you experiment with things that you might have never thought you could wear. I think that's kind of the thrill of shopping is pick up something once in a while that you never would imagine yourself in. And it may be terrible, and that's okay, it's just not for you. Don't worry, move on. But it may be fantastic. And it may bring something out in you that you didn't even know was there. So I think we have to do things as we're ready. And I think that we do have to let go of certain things that aren't working for us if we can. But I know it can be difficult because even for me,

I know I do go up and down in size quite a bit and letting go of something like, well, what if I need it again? But then what are you telling yourself when you do hold onto it? Is that you don't trust yourself, you're not trusting the process. You know, whatever you're doing is just going to go right backwards. It's possible, but I mean, letting go of it could be powerful in another way, just saying no, I'm done with that. I'm moving on. I'm going forward and I'm not looking back. So it can be tricky. It's navigating weight loss and fashion

and dressing yourself can be tricky and it can bring up a lot of feels, that's for sure. Yeah, and so if you're not ready to let it go, move it out of your closet, put it in the box, any of your bigger clothes. Like everyone says, oh, I can shop my closet. Okay, great, that's really exciting when you have the smaller sizes,

if you find that motivating, right? Maybe like keep that super, super small ones also in a box, right? Pull out what fits you now, put those bigger clothes away in a box. There's all sorts of, you know, you can donate them to, you know, women who are trying to get,

women without homes, trying to get jobs, you know, you can consign them, you can do whatever, give them a way to like have a swap with your friends, I don't know. Get them out of your closet. That's your first step. You don't have to give them away, but get them out of your closet.

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I want to just address this. So one thing I've noticed from specific plus-size clothing stores is that the sales reps are so into encouraging you to wear the things that are out of your comfort level. But I find they don't really listen when you say you're not comfortable. They're like, just do this, do that. You've got this. I think I would prefer a store that's like, I can tell you, you don't like this. How can we do better? Now, listen, I would imagine that's a bit of a, it's a touchy subject because you want everyone to feel beautiful. They might assume that you have some confidence issues.

Like I think part of it is on you to be like, No, this is really not my style. What else you got? Right? But I think like, I can tell you when I went into Tanya store, her salesperson held up some things and I'm like, no, and she's like, just try it. And then I was then I put it on. I was like, Who am I Carrie Bradshaw? This is amazing. I bought this skirt and this top that I'm just like, what am I, what?

This is, I love this. And so I think there's like a boundary on how far you wanna be pushed. Now, if I really didn't like it, I would be like, no, this is fun. Like this is, maybe I like this about this top or this about this skirt, But this is an absolute no. And I think a good salesperson is like, okay, maybe let's try this or that.

I think it doesn't matter the store that you go into. It's what you are doing in the communication that you're having. I think there's a stigma with plus size shopping too, right? Like that, like that's the stigma is on the plus size sign outside outside the store. And I think there's a maybe a lot that comes with that. I just you know, what I think that it could be to like if that's experience this person is having.

Let's go back to bringing someone who's a support system for you because oh, great idea. Maybe you don't trust me. You don't know me. You don't know my intention. You don't know my experience and that's totally normal. So one of the things that I think is so important is just having someone with you that knows you that can be that sound mind for you. Maybe it takes them to say that I love it, to say, you know, this is really nice. And maybe it is actually really nice and you're not ready for it. And that's okay. And maybe that doesn't suit your personality. That's okay. I have a friend

of mine who the two of us have been friends since we were 14 years old. We are, we're inseparable. We love each other, but our style cannot be more different. And what looks great on me and what I embrace as like something that's so, gives me confidence is something that looks extremely terrible on her. It doesn't suit her at all. So it's, it's not one size fits all. This whole life is not one size fits all. You have to know what's good for you. And I think that as you navigate and continue to try and experiment, you can find what is right for you. And the most important thing at the bottom of everything is that you have to be comfortable.

Because if you aren't, you're not gonna walk out of your door comfortable, you're not gonna find success in your daily life. You know, this is a celebration. This is a celebration of your body of your self confidence. This is your journey, like every step along the way, you know, you want to feel proud of yourself. And I think that as you start feeling comfortable in your skin, then the next step, the next 10

pounds is going to become even easier, because you're taking that step, you're setting yourself up for success, you're saying, look where I am, look where I've come from. And now I'm going on to the next, on to the next step. So I think that helped me because I started seeing change as I was losing weight. And at the beginning, it was hard because I was holding on to my like size 33 34 jeans I was holding them hard with that belt and then I'm like, okay Let's go to the next gene and then that started getting loose and it was like, okay Wow, this is a really big deal and and I think that it's part of that journey So if you don't have to go out and buy a new wardrobe every five to ten pounds

But I think like a little treat here and there, like one new piece, one easy staple that can be worn with many different things can really help set you up for further success in your journey. Sometimes people have no choice because their style is changing. Like Kim's like clothes look different on me as I lost so much of my chest when I lost weight. And so maybe what you know, you felt good, what looked good on you before, all of a sudden you're like, oh, it's gonna look even better on me now. And then you go and you purchase the same style,

but your body has changed and then you have no choice. And that's where I think people could feel a little lost. You know what I think was a really interesting experience I had was that I was moving homes and I was like size extra large at this point and I had all these teeny tiny little cute clothes and I boxed them up and I put it on the label of the box. It's a Tanya small clothes. So I'm like, Oh, I'm never going to wear these again. I'll never see them. Like it was a really depressing

moment for me. I just remember it like it was yesterday. And then we moved and it went in my basement. Once I lost my 55 pounds, I went back to that box. And I didn't pull anything out of it. Because I was not the same. Even though I could fit in those clothes. They didn't serve me anymore in my life. Like I had just changed, changed my style, changed how I wanted to represent myself. Maybe it was like three years more down the road, I was older. It just didn't serve me. Like I didn't want them anymore. So they're still in my basement. I haven't gotten rid of them there. But like but even though you might get back to that same size you were

ten years ago, pre-baby, it just might not serve you. So we have to just understand as we're aging, as our life is changing, whether you're changing careers, maybe lifestyle, where you're living, maybe you're becoming a parent, life just changes and what was may not be good for you anymore. And I think that's part of it too. So you shouldn't be afraid to move on from those old items. You can hold them, but you might never go back to them. You might, but you might not. So Well, you just, you dropped, you, you dropped something there. like we're holding onto so much in those clothes that don't fit us.

Yeah. Like, it's going back to that. And of course, I understand you've got some great investment pieces and whatever, but how long has it been since you've worn those clothes? And it's what we have attached. It's our issues and associations attached to what those clothes represent. I mean, that's deep. I think what your clothes, you know, everyone knows when you put on something, you feel fantastic.

It can change your whole mood. Last time you joined us, you talked about this concept of dopamine dressing. And I loved because it was like really intentional like being intentional about what you are wearing not just trying to cover up your body not trying to you know whatever it is you're trying to do but be really intentional can talk about this concept of dopamine dressing. So dopamine dressing is essentially dressing in a way that is bringing you joy. Setting yourself up for a certain mood.

And that mood can be, you know, if you're feeling energetic, maybe you wanna dress a certain way, maybe you want some bright colors that day. Maybe you're feeling comfy cozy as the sunshine is peeking through your window on the spring day after a snowstorm, you wanna wear some really soft knits,

maybe a soft yellow sweater. Like, do you see like as I'm talking, I'm getting goosebumps because I'm thinking of like, brings me joy and it's that feeling of like, I'm gonna wake up today. How do I feel today? How do I want to feel today? And then you go into your closet and, you know,

you have all these options and you wanna see, okay, well, what's gonna match my mood or what's gonna help me feel better? So for me, it's like, options and you want to see, okay, well, what's going to match my mood or what's going to help me feel better. So for me, it's like can be just doing my hair, putting on a cute little pair of earrings and then, you know, just going with what feels good. And it can be anything. It could be color. It can be texture. It can be print. It can be any of those things. Like it's just that's going to help set you up for success and make you stand taller.

So I use the example of a job interview. So I interviewed so many candidates and one of the first things I look at is how they're dressed. And it's not because I want them to be super trendy, but I just want them to like show me that they were intentional, that they thought about their interview, maybe they put themselves together.

Some people come in pajamas and I'm like, okay, like they could be awesome and I love them and I'm never gonna judge them for what they wear but I feel like if someone's coming really put together, they took the time to just, doesn't matter what they're wearing, it just shows me that they took a little bit of time and effort.

I think already they have more confidence walking in. So it's like if I was going for a job interview, maybe in an office and I wore a blazer or a really beautiful suit. So let's take your dragon's den suit. Like you bought this lavender, beautiful suit. And I feel that like that may have been part of the process of the confidence that you had walking into that den. Yeah, absolutely. It was so well fit to your body. The color was bright. It fit your personality.

It made you stand out to the judges because you did a little bit of research there of what they were wearing. And you kind of wanted to play on play on that as well. And I think that you set yourself up for success before you even step foot into that den. Because yeah, the parts before you said a word, they already looked at you and said, Okay, this is someone I want to pay attention to because you are exuding a type of energy and a smile that just it fit your whole personality. So I think that no matter what it is that brings you joy, I think when you find that, that's going to turn into confidence. And then that confidence is going to turn into success. So I'll even give you the opposite example.

Let's put on our tightest pair of jeans And I know I've said this before but how many of us have gone out in the worst fitting tightest pair of jeans? But my whole day have it ruins your entire day. So now we're in the office. We're trying to be creative We're getting excited and you know, we have a big marketing project coming up and then what happens? Oh, I Just say lunch. I can't breathe oh, do you think he can see my my roles as I'm sitting in my chair? Or, you know, maybe, I don't know, I don't feel so great. And and like, think about your creativity, how can you spark creativity and joy and, and and great ideas if you're so concerned about how the jeans are fitting? So how you dress, it's not so much about, like you said, it's not a sales pitch, come shop and buy everything from my store. It's really what is the benefit of actually dressing yourself in a way that can bring you joy. When I'm happy, good things

come. When I walk out my door smiling, feeling good, my day is just better. It's just, it just flows better. I have more success in my decisions. You just feel good and you know what, how many times I felt so good and something bad happened and I just let it slide because I felt too good to let it affect me. And I think that that was something with the program. When I was losing my weight and I was starting to dress really nice, I was walking my children to school, skipping.

And I said to myself, what am I doing? Why am I skipping? What's wrong with me? But I was so happy and I felt so light and I felt proud of myself and I started like skipping along. Like, and it was really funny. And I can't get this out of my head,

this vision of me skipping to school. It's just, I felt so good. So how we dress and the decisions we make before we step out of our door can be very influential on our day and really impact every decision that we make. I think it, I was just thinking it might be helpful to people be like, why did I dress the way I dressed before? Was it to cover up? Was it to try to be invisible? Was it to distract? Was it like, what was that about? What and find the parts that you really loved about your style

and carry that forward and leave the rest behind. And what do you want your style now? Who are you now? And what brings you joy? And what would you like to wear? I see this coming here. Sometimes I think as the outfit, as my armor for today, put on my armor and go get the day, right?

And that could be like, that's where you're just like, all right, like, or this is that affirmation, before you address and you get to the door, you're trying to convince yourself being like, Okay, I look great. You know, I feel amazing. And if you're wearing something that's just like, I don't know, put on something else, put on something else, right. Um, so talk, let's talk about, let's talk about changing body sizes. Because you have been in a larger body, you've lost your weight, and now you are gaining

again. So I haven't really revealed this to many people, but I'm actually expecting my third child. And I do want to say this and I think it's really important. And I think it's a huge lesson. I joined this program in 2021 and I was really down on myself. And I think I was about 35 years old. I had a big tummy, I was exploding out of my clothes

and I don't think I even realized any of it. And I was just miserable. I was not myself. Like the way I am today is the way I always was growing up and just bubbly, like usually very positive. And I wasn't, I wasn't. And that's when I knew there was something really wrong. And I realized I had gained more weight than I even thought I wasn't getting on scales or anything.

And I think that I said to myself, oh, I guess this is aging. I guess this tummy is something I'm going to have to accept. There was no way I knew how to lose weight. I just couldn't do those fad diets anymore. It was like, it was a huge, like it was just a big roadblock. And I thought this is just me. This is just- And no one would have known this because if you go back and you watch, if you go to her Yaya or her Instagram account,

you were gorgeous. Like you look so put together. You looked amazing. So this isn't like anyone would have seen the outside you and knew this. But I think that a lot of us maybe it's like a fake it till you make it type thing, you know, you just put on this face. But I remember just the trigger for me and the day that I joined the program, I was trying on prom dress like like gowns, and I think a size 14 or 16

was this big on my back. And three sales associates were trying to close it. And I was sweating and I was frustrated and I went to the back and I was in tears. And it was really emotional for me because I said, I can't do my job anymore. I'm not a good mom, I'm not a good person, I'm miserable said I can't do my job anymore. I'm not a good mom, I'm not a good person, I'm miserable and I can't do my job. How am I going to survive? So thankfully I was recommended the program. I had no idea what the heck, who the heck you were.

No idea. I did it in a sense with blind faith, but what I will say, what I will say, I know a lot of you have followed along my journey with me. And for those of you who haven't, I lost my weight, I joined in the spring program, the April program, that's my favorite program. So that that's for me the most successful, I'm always the most successful in the spring program. So if you haven't signed up yet, definitely do it. And by the by December, I had lost my weight. And I was just I had this new confidence. and I said to myself

I didn't have to be stuck like that. I have every capability to be the person I want to be the Tanya that I knew before kids the even better version of myself and I started loving my body in a different way and knowing that I didn't have to resort to suffering to lose weight. I actually enjoy the program. I enjoy the meals. I enjoy the community. Like this was so important for me and it was a huge learning experience. And then I gained a little bit.

So like I didn't stay at my lowest low. I was very, very tiny. I gained a little bit, but I still love myself even more. And I feel like even gaining it was, I still look better than maybe in previous times when I was that size. So now I'm expecting, and I think part of deciding to expand my family was that I had confidence in myself to love my body, to understand I can dress in a way that still is me. And I didn't have to compromise that to still know that I had the tools to to be myself, even though I'm

bringing a new life into this world. It's like very strange. I did do the program a little bit at the beginning, but I've had a very rough path of my pregnancy. So unfortunately, I, other than bread, I wasn't eating much, but now I'm feeling much better. And I do want to incorporate the program into my life again right now, because drinking the water and all the fruits and the veggies and the leafy greens and just the the routine of it and grabbing those healthier foods like there's so much to be said and I believe that with the living method in my back pocket that I will probably have my healthiest and my best pregnancy yet and I'm not afraid for what comes after and I'm not afraid that I'm going to go back there and I'm not afraid to dress in a way that

is going to continue to bring me joy even though my tummy is getting large. There's ways around it to continue looking you know as slim as possible when pregnant but I feel there's so much to be said for that so whether you're in the beginning of your journey, whether you're in the middle, whether you yourself are postpartum or, you know, thinking of having more children, I mean, it's not necessarily part of this fashion conversation, but the conversation comes from the confidence. Yeah, and the body changes. And I feel that I have a lot of great information

and great resources now that doesn't make me scared for the future. Like, and I don't think I ever would have entertained having another child if it wasn't for this program. There's absolutely no way. If you asked me five years ago, hard no, hard no. Like not even a chance that I would risk that again. So thank you, Livvy Method,

for filling up the bedrooms in my home. So it's possible and I think that we just can learn a lot if we just take the steps to do it. We can really find out a lot about ourselves. And listen, I've always, I was the kid that was bullied. I never was the most beautiful. I never was the skinniest. Like, this is not my story.

Like I don't walk out of the house, just like a Barbie. Like that's not the way it is. I'm really simple. So I keep it simple. And I think that's a key for a lot of people. It doesn't have to be complicated. It doesn't have to be something that consumes you. We're all busy. We all have things on our plate. And I think that just remembering

that the key to success in this program is that we need to take care of ourselves and we need to find joy in ourselves, which in turn will give us the success for every single thing that we touch in our daily lives. So I learned that. That's been my greatest lesson, I think. And that's why I'm still here. And I mean, fashion is the fun part of it. So if we can learn to have fun with it, you'd be surprised how good it, how great of an addition it can be to your, you know your roster of things you're working on. I adore you. I miss you. I'm so happy to see you and connect to connect with you again. Yeah, me too. I'm so happy for you. Thank you. I'm so happy for you. Um, you know, everyone that's seeing her are watching us live. And this is like, you know, um,

you thought it was just going to be some fashion conversation. I mean, we're going to get, you know, we'll go to your store one day, we'll do a proper fashion, fashion, fashion. But this is the conversation, right? This is the call. No one talks about that. Everyone wants to lose weight. Oh, when I lose weight, I'm going to get that new wardrobe.

And no one's talking about how you were feeling along the way, learning to accept yourself, the changes that your body's making, even if they are the changes that you wanted, it's letting go of their past, embracing who you are, trying to figure out who you are and who knew that the way that you are addressing is such a big part of that. It's a reflection of how you're feeling sometimes on the inside that you're trying to portray outside or deflecting from how you're feeling on the inside that you're trying to portray outside or deflecting from how you're feeling on the inside and trying to show something else on the outside. We've worked so hard on this program, getting in tune with ourselves and reconnecting with

ourselves. I think fashion is a great way of trying to understand who we are now. It's a lot more complex than I think anyone realizes. I love these conversations. Tanya, thanks for joining me. Let's put up some contact information. So yayaco.ca is the website. You can go to Instagram. Yeah, you can go to Instagram. But I did want to say after doing this program with you and doing these talks, a lot of people did reach out to me that they wanted help. And we set up

actually a styling program. We do this every day. You can walk in any day of the week and get this get this. It's not a cost to you. It's nothing but we do have a space on our website where you can actually book an appointment and you tell us a little bit about yourself. There's a little questionnaire and based on that I read it and I set you up with who I believe is the absolute best person for you. Sometimes just based on age, sometimes based on experience. This type of thing. So we've had quite a bit of Libby losers who have come through this little

styling program we started and to be honest, they've had a great experience and I've had really great feedback. So if you are in a mood of shopping and maybe you want a little guidance and you don't have to purchase a thing, doesn't cost you a dime, but it's just an opportunity to come in having someone who already kind of has a little bit of info on you and can work with you, we've had a lot of success. So if you feel more comfortable in that type of situation, you can I can give you guys the link and you can post it for them. And then I'm going to come up with a little if you lose your discount. I

know some of you have been asking me to do your spring shopping. So I'll do that as well. But this is available any day of the week in any location, anytime you can do it. Just spill the beans, let us know what you're looking for, we will help you. But if you want a more curated experience and you're looking for something specific or you're just not comfortable yet,

definitely sign up for that. And we will work with you to find something you love or maybe give you a little bit of fashion knowledge and make it a little bit easier for you. So that's just something we started based on all the experience from you guys here and all your feedback. So I thought it would be something fun to do and we've been doing it and it's been really good. So, um, that is available as well. So I just wanted to leave you with that. I love that. Uh, Cindy's like Tonya, she get five lose for Livy losers all the same way way but different heights and sizes and dress them

You can learn what suits your body. Yeah, we want to do a ton of stuff her right now right now We are just hope so happy. She spent some time today, especially after how you've been feeling We're gonna do a whole bunch of fun stuff. You can follow Yaya underscore co on Instagram This is great for different styles or Tonya as well. If you want to hear more of her tips and her shares, Tonya underscore Nicole underscore zero, zero, three, three. This one of the things we talked about, I know you shared in the past, we got to go is

if you're unsure of your style, try to find people, maybe this similar body size to you and they have styles that you like, whether it's on Instagram or Pinterest, and just do a little bit of research and kind of like see what you like and sort of, you know, what sort of you think might feel good on you. Yay. I don't want to go. We got to go. Have an amazing day, everyone. Thanks for joining us, Tonya. Thank you so much. Thank you. love you.