The Livy Method Podcast - Let's Talk Body Image with Tanya Gelsomino - Spring/Summer 2024

Episode Date: June 27, 2024

In this guest expert segment, recorded on June 27, 2024, Gina talks body image and tips for dressing your changing body with fashion expert Tanya Gelsomino (Yaya & Co.).You can find the full video hosted at:https://www.facebook.com/groups/livymethodspringsummer2024Topics covered:Introducing Tanya Gelsomino and her weight loss story. Faking until you make it - Embracing your changing body by showing up the way you want to be. Individual style: why style is meant to be comfortable and bring you joy. Social Influencers: Follow the people who inspire you and have the same body type. Too loose, too tight - Finding your happy medium. Shop your closet first! How calmness can come from a decluttered closet. Tips for curating your closet: start fresh and simplify! Make a list: choose basics, neutrals, and stretchy staples to dress your changing body through weight loss. How do you want to feel? Finding the fun in shopping for clothes that bring you joy! Clothing should fit you, not the other way around! Can I help you? Being open to the support that store service can offer you when you shop. The New You: handling comments from others on how you've changed. Dopamine Dressing - getting to comfortable, confident, sexy, and joyful in our style and presentation to the world! Bang for your buck - shopping your friend's closet, thrift stores and other options as you dress your changing body. Start the day well - we can choose how we want to feel. Find Tanya online and on socials: yayaco.ca Instagram: @yaya_co and @tanya_nicole_0033 Shopping is free! You can enjoy the process and don't have to feel pressure to buy! To learn more about The Livy Method, visit www.ginalivy.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm Gina Livy and welcome to the Livy 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 re-listen 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. summer runs, or playoff season meditations. Whatever your vibe, Peloton has thousands of classes built to push you. We know how life goes. New father, new routines, new locations. What matters is that you have something there to adapt with you, whether you need a challenge or rest. And Peloton has everything you need, whenever you need it. Find your push. Find your power. Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca.

You're going to have this ability to now reframe. Allow yourself time throughout the day to stress the fuck out. The thoughts and the feelings and the behavior cycle can start changing. This is no doubt going to be a fun but also somewhat serious conversation with my guest today, fashion stylist and Libby loser extraordinaire, Tanya Gelsomino is joining me today. Hi, good morning. Good morning. How are you? I'm good. I'm feeling good. It's

summer. I love summer. We're rolling into a long weekend here in Canada. I'm feeling good. How about you? How are you doing? I know you're doing the program. Oh, I'm doing good. I love a good spring program. I feel like just the newness of the spring, the weather change. I always feel like my most successful rounds are, are the spring. It's just, they just match up so, so well and I'm doing good. I feel good, which is really nice, which is really good. Okay. So many of our returning members, of course, know who you are. They follow you over on Instagram. You, you know, you, you have a few stores yeah yeah and you um are always highlighting fashion and how to put together outfits but more than that you've done the program so let's talk

about your your journey first so that all of our new members can get a sense of who you are and why you're so amazing okay amazing so my name is Tanya Del Cimino and I did the first program in the spring of 2021. I didn't know what I was getting into. I literally was looking for a quick fix and someone recommended this program to me with so little information, but I was really, really in a bad place where I needed something. So I was willing just to try it. And for $75, I couldn't resist. It was either that or buy a Peloton. So I went for

the $75. So anyways, I ended up between the spring program and the fall program, I lost 55 pounds, which just was a total game changer for me. I think that it was just a chance for me to find myself and level up, which was so big. Like, it was so unexpected. I didn't think that joining this would lead to here. Like, I'm sitting here with you today and I get to share my passion for fashion as well as my journey, which I'm so, so grateful for. So it's really exciting for me.

Well, and that's what I love about you. You've been really honest in your journey, right? It hasn't been easy peasy necessarily, obviously hugely successful. You look amazing. So on top of your weight loss journey, you're also a very public figure in terms of fashion and what you do. And you're kind of like, you know, you're well known in your circles. And so where should we start with this? Because can we talk about the personal journey with change? Yeah, like I think that that, you know, we all kind of start this journey for different

reasons. And I think a lot of people probably start it for vanity. And maybe that's kind of where I was. I just wanted to look good. I wanted to fit into a smaller size. Um, and as the weeks went on, I just wanted to look good. I wanted to fit into a smaller size. And as the weeks went on, it just totally changed. And I think by the end of it all, it wasn't even about weight loss, it was just about leveling up in every aspect of my life. And especially I could use my own

experience as an example. You know, in my 20s, I think I had found myself really positive, bubbly, I was feeling good, looking good, I navigated through all the shyness, the bullying of the high school days, not feeling in my own, like I was in my own skin. Then I got married, I had kids, the pandemic happened, and everything just became a fog. And I think that this program allowed me to come out of that fog and find who I wanted to be, how I wanted to show up for myself, what kind of mom I wanted to be, how I wanted to show up for my business. So it was so incredible that it gave me an opportunity to look at what I wanted to do with my life and how I wanted to show up. So that's where the fashion kind of came into play because I realized quickly that how I'm dressing was actually so connected to my self-care journey. Yeah. I mean, this is what I look at you and I'm just like, okay, this girl, she's got, she is so confident. She's got it together. And then I've seen photos of you before and videos of you before.

Same, same, like no one would ever know at like 50 something pounds, you know, bigger, you look just as beautiful. You have amazing energy. You look super confident. One of our first conversations that I had with you, I remember I'm like, oh yeah, I'm going to have Tanya on. She'll tell us like, like how to put our clothes together. But it was such a, it really opened my eyes to so many people I've sat down in front of, and they're like, well, I wouldn't lose 50 pounds. I wouldn't lose this. I'm like,

you do realize you're going to need a whole new wardrobe. And they're like, oh, I can't wait. Bring it on. Like, I can only dream. And then they need a new wardrobe. And it can be very stressful for people beyond just finding their style, but also trying to figure out who they are now. Because you know with the Libby Method, you're changing more than your physical body. You're doing so much mental work that you really are changing the person who is showing up in the world. And that's why I love having you. So I know people are like, okay, fashion, where's the rack of clothes? Where's the whatever? Like this is going to be so much, so much deeper than that. So how did you embrace, where should we start? Should it be how you embraced your changing body?

Because like you were doing it in front of people in real time. Well, I want to be realistic. Like at, at almost 200 pounds, I wasn't just hopping into clothes saying, oh yeah, I got this. Like it was not easy for me. And I, I kind of have the mentality. I learned this when I was young. I think from my grandmother, she went to a bank job once and she's like, I can't speak English, but I'm going to fake it till I make it. So I'm like, yeah, fake it till you make it. Like, so show up. Sometimes you have to do this impersonation thing, right? I'm going to show up the way I want people to perceive me. And hopefully my brain will catch up to that. And I'm going to start actually becoming that person. So I really had to work, work my magic in terms of really what did look good for me,

how I felt comfortable. And it wasn't easy. I had roles. My size was not a size I loved. My face was puffy. It didn't feel like my body. But what I did was just really take it as a learning experience to say, let's let's try different things. It took a few tries before I'd find my outfit.

But once you found the one that you were comfortable in, it's incredible how your confidence can completely soar and you start becoming that person that you envisioned. Right. I don't know if you caught the conversation with Dr. Beverly David on Tuesday, where she talked about, we talked about faking it till you make it like having this sense of this person who you want to be. And I think we're all waiting to like get there one day. All of a sudden we wake up and I'm like, I'm that person, but this is where fashion and what you are wearing can really help you embrace the person that you are becoming. Okay. So why do you talk about what does style mean to you? Like if I'm trying to figure out my style, because a lot of people

either wear like, you know, bright, flashy, distracting things because of their weight, or they wear like all dark monochromatic because of their weight. And you know, some people will wear a belt because of the weight and some people won't ever touch a belt because of their weight. And, you know, some people will wear a belt because of the weight and some people won't ever touch a belt because of their weight. So when we're changing physically who we are and mentally who we are, and we're putting these clothes on every day, how would someone know that they're sort of like unhappy with their current style, how to change their current style? How do they recognize that? And not just by the same clothes, but for a different body? Well, first of all, you said it right. Everyone is going to have a different style. And a belt might be magic for someone, it might be a no-go for somebody

else. So I think style is completely individual. Don't forget as well, we're all coming from a different age, gender, lifestyle. So what works for me doesn't necessarily work for someone else. And I think that when you recognize that style is individual and you don't have to follow trends or have to be like the girl next door, once you realize style is extremely personal and it is something that is supposed to make you happy, it is supposed to bring you joy, it is supposed to make you comfortable in your skin. Once you look at it in that perspective, you can start recognizing what you like. So a tip that I would say is when you get dressed every morning, maybe look in the mirror

before you leave the house or if you have a mirror at work or in the bathroom. Like just look at yourself for a second and and ask yourself if you feel happy in that moment, if you feel joyful in your outfit. And then every day do it again and again and again. And then you'll start recognizing, you know, I really like when I wear a nice v-neck or these. You know, when I'm wearing blue, I feel so confident. I feel calm. It's a great color for me. I feel joyful. So like when you start really analyzing what you're wearing every day and just pay attention for a second, you can actually start recognizing cuts, styles, and your comfort level just from that, right?

So what I'm hearing is it's not something you do overnight. It's definitely something that takes some, I just, I'm just sort of, I'm just distracted by this comment that Lisa shared. This is hard. I feel like my clothes don't match my personality or make me feel good. And this is where I think beyond just feeling comfortable in your body, which is obviously, you know, that that that is something in itself. But I think the two are quite different. There is being you know, because you you can be comfortable in your body and still be unhappy with what you're wearing. And the other way around, you can be uncomfortable in your body and love what you're wearing. So okay, I love this. So look at the clothes that you do have when you're putting them on. How do they make you feel like

take a minute to assess how you are feeling. Maybe what you like about the color. It's making me feel like Pam was saying, like, I choose bright colors, but that's because of my personality and I feel confident in them now. Anyway, back in the days, it was just black, white and gray. Okay. What about a vision board or like going through magazines are hard because it's always like fashion magazines, you know, like, so we have every day.

We have social media. We have hundreds of influencers out there. Like I'm learning too. I follow some people that I love that are similar age to me that have a similar vibe, maybe a similar lifestyle, like maybe a fashion mom that has little kids, you know, so follow people that that inspire you that have your body type. I mean, let them do the work. They're out there shopping. They're out there buying all kinds of stuff and spending money and trying it on and putting outfits together for you. Copy and paste. Hey, yes. Or something great. Let me try that. Maybe that will also work for me. But don't follow someone. I mean, follow whoever you want. But don't follow someone that is your body in the future. Follow someone that resonates with you today. Celebrating. I think people I think the thing is, we all want to, you know, set you up for success for tomorrow. If you're always looking to the future, you're not being present right now. And I think that that's,

it's crazy that we're talking about this when it comes to clothing and fashion. Like you wouldn't think this is a conversation, but it can be incredibly powerful to find confidence and really understand why dressing yourself is all part of self-care. Did it take you a while to embrace or were you like, I don't know, I picture you kind of celebrating and be like, wear this and this and this, but did it, did it, but it, but deeper than that, did it take you a while to embrace your changing body? Um, I, I'm very, I, yeah, because I, I lost a lot of weight. Like I did really well on the program. My first round in the spring was 28 pounds. And my clothes were falling off. I was still wearing

my larges and extra larges. And people were saying to me, Tanya, do you want to buy another pair of jeans? Because you look like you're wearing somebody else's clothes. And I'm like, Oh, I'm good. I'm just putting on a belt. And I really like that when you're down, like quite a few sizes, at some point, you really got to bite the bullet and buy yourself a new pair of jeans. But it takes time for our mind, especially when you're losing weight so rapidly in a program like this, like in such a healthy way, I think that, that your mind needs a little bit of time to catch up to where you're at. And, and, and sometimes it takes maybe catching a glimpse of yourself in the mirror or a picture where you're like, Oh, wow, I do look good. I did lose weight. And you don't really necessarily see it every day.

You know what I mean? It just takes something random to show up and be like, oh yeah, okay, maybe I do need to buy some smaller clothes, right? It's scary. It's not easy. Well, because of the living method, you're not just losing weight, you're losing fat and your body is actually changing. And we've heard so many stories of people will go shopping and they just head to the plus size stores where they can't shop there anymore. And they just keep going there. And then they're looking and then they're almost like disappointed that they can't find anything. And it's almost like you're, you're celebrating what's happening on the scale, but you're not celebrating that when it comes to closing,

you think about that you're looking better or feeling better. You know, you're, you're one step closer to your goal. All that's very exciting. But then when it comes to your clothes, it's like, it's a stressful situation where it's almost the, almost the opposite. And you like the baggy clothes work for a bit. And then I think that then it switches to like, then it switches that where it's like, it's like, Oh, look at my jeans. They're like, they're like big on me. But then it gets to a point where that's almost depressing when your jeans are too big on you. And it's not really, it's not fitting the new you. Yeah. You there there's, there's, you have to find a happy middle. I think if you're wearing items that are way too loose for you or way too tight, you're really not doing yourself any favor.

You really do have to try to dress for yourself. And I'll give you some tips on how to navigate that because we don't want everyone going out and spending thousands monthly because we're dropping a size. So we're going to definitely touch on that next. But what I will say is it is scary. And I think that it's a process for everybody and you can navigate it slowly. I can, I'm going to give you tips on just little things you can do to kind of work through that and get yourself into a store and get yourself to try new things and really embrace the process. But it definitely is scary. And what I would say is it could come from a fear. I know it's if I buy those smaller jeans what if

tomorrow they don't fit me yes and I don't want to feel that again and I think that that's why a lot of people stay in their nice loose clothes because then you feel in a way you feel your success oh this is nice and loose it doesn't fit me it's fantastic but to a certain point it's going to look a little bit sloppy and you're not going to get to show off all the hard work you've done. And you're totally deserving of it. So we can do baby steps. It doesn't have to be all in one moment. But there's something to be said for putting those aside and really embracing today. Well, I think what happens is people buy the smaller jeans or the smaller clothes. And then just like before they would have maybe like a, you know, a bloated day or indulgent day

or the time of month or, you know, their, you know, life is getting chaotic and then their jeans start to fit tight. But so did your other clothes. So did you, you felt like that in your larger sizes too, right? Like you, you you whatever size you're wearing before you still have bloated days days were kind of like you know life was stressful your weight was kind of creeping up you didn't feel your best like you had those days and those genes too so this is really no different that you know you're buying those smaller sizes I think it is that that moment where you know just like we have so many people who have stories who didn't know they really needed to lose weight or the weight that they gained until they saw that photo or until someone said something or yeah, they looked in the mirror and that, so you had that,

what was yours? I had someone in my life telling me, Tanya, do you see yourself? I'm like, I'm fine. Leave me alone. You know, total denial. And, and then one day, I think I saw a picture of myself and I, I almost fainted. I'm like, who, who is this? How did I get here? Even so, you know, our mind plays tricks on us. It's, it's really incredible. But once you start to have awareness, you become hyper aware. And I think just with the program, we're so in tune with our body that, you know, why not dress ourselves for success? Like my purpose coming here is to help you realize that you want to put something on for you that is going to make you feel so good that when you walk out that door tomorrow, today, you feel a sense of confidence that is really going to set

you up for success in whatever, in whatever area you need, whether that is in your job, decision making. It's just incredible. And I think that there's all different stages of life. So you have to think like, are you still losing weight? Well, there's tips for that. Are you done losing weight? There's tips for that. So, you know, like, am I done?

Who am I? Am I losing weight? Where am I? So, you know, like, am I done? Who am I? Am I losing weight? Where am I? So, you know, there's so much we can talk about. So it just depends on what you want to hear from me today. Well, I'm just thinking about, so Tanya joined us when we went to the Dragon's Den. So earlier this year, we went to the Dragon's Den, which is a TV show. It's kind of like Shark Tank in the US, but it's in Canada.

And it's super fun. Like it was, it's a of like shark tank in the U S but it's in Canada. And, um, it's super fun. Like it was, it's a TV show. We got to present the Libby method and we took some of our members with us and it was a whole thing. Like, what is everybody going to wear? And, you know, you, you, Tanya helped advise on that. And when you, it was amazing where we had hair and makeup done and just finding the right kind of clothes. And it was like a whole vibe. It was like, honestly, just like a whole vibe. I think it really changes your energy and really helps you to really embrace. I mean, getting your hair and makeup done is always nice too. But when you, when you see yourself in a way where other people see you, especially after weight loss,

that can be like, that can be that moment where you're like oh shit I look good like look at me you know um okay so how do we bring that vibe to everybody okay so I think before we run out to the mall we have something in our own home our closet I think you need to shop your closet first you need to really go in there and I think you need to shop your closet first. You need to really go in there. And I think that part of feeling calm, because we're all about being calm around here. Calmness comes from having a very organized closet. So we have to look at what's in there that serves you or doesn't serve you. And I think that a lot of times we keep too big clothes and too small clothes or really old clothes.

Like, are you, we talked about this before. Are you really wearing your low rise jeans or your cutoff shorts? Like, are you really, even if you lost all your weight, even if you were the size you were when you were 20, are you putting those on? Unless you love them. If you love them, that is a totally different thing. Yes. But if you are not putting them back on, doesn't matter. I'm never putting them back on. And you're not putting them back on. Take them out and put them in a box or donate them.

Get them out of sight, out of mind, because they are, you don't need them right now. It just creates clutter in your mind. And in the morning, you need to give yourself like just a calmness. When you walk into your closet, it should be really easy to navigate what you're going to wear. So what I would say is look at items that are your go-to pieces. Look at items that you haven't touched in a while.

One little trick that I learned a long time ago, really smart, and this is good for like closet cleaning seasonally, is in a month, every time you wear something, when you put it back in your closet, put it with the hanger the opposite way. Just hang it inside, like inside out kind of. At the end of the month, see how many of those hangers are still in place. And it will really show you, oh, I'm only wearing

like 10 items over again. And the other 57 are sitting there collecting dust. That'll give you a bit of perspective and it might help you kind of navigate what needs to be taken out. Because it's very hard for us. So I like this. I like the out of sight, out of mind, like get the stuff out of your closet. Cause there's nothing like walking into your closet and sure. When you have a feel good day, great. You got to like search through and find those clothes, but when you're having a not great day and you see all your clothes, your old clothes you used to wear or don't fit you. Like, I mean, I'm all for like your inspiration and wanting to fit in that dress again. But you don't need 47 other pieces in that size.

Like hang the dress somewhere nice if you want to see that. Pull it out of your closet. You don't have to give it away. If you are not ready to donate your clothes i always said we should do like a big libya loser swap one day right we just like everyone come bring their clothes um that'd be fun but because if people are in different ranges and sizes right but um i digress you do not have to give it away put it in a box pack it away you know put it somewhere else out of sight out of mind and start fresh with your closet shop in

your closet first find those pieces that you love you know like sure you can have an inspiration section but not your whole closet I'm thinking like I have this lower rack on my closet which is like I got into linen shirts like like four years ago and I have like 10 of them I have not worn them since I I'm just like yeah yeah, I don't even want to, but I look at them every day and every day I'm like, there's my rack of linen shirts that I never wear. I mean, they're like, you know, you know, we all, we all have, we all have that in our closet. But the thing is just to make getting dressed easier, like you just want to simplify. And I think that like the bin in the basement is good. Label it, whether you go back to it or not, that'll be something you can determine a few

years from now, a few months from now. But you actually, it's like when we split our meals and snacks, right? Knowing you can go back to your second portion is a different type of confidence when you're tossing it or downsizing. So guys, it's all related. If you really think about it, you know, we have life skills here. So, um, so I would say do that. Um, also like seasonally, like don't keep right now I have all my heavy sweaters. I haven't cleared them out yet. And I cannot tell you how confusing that is in the morning when I have like 50 heavy sweaters in a heat wave, like they're just in my way. And, and it just tacks on an extra 10 minutes to my,

oops, to my, um, morning routine. So it's better to clear out seasonally and then really just think of the items you need. So now once you've evaluated, you might have to try some things on, um, and then set them aside, donate them, do what else? Next, make a list. What's missing? What do you need? So do you have a good jean? Do you have maybe a black pant or trouser, a pair of shorts, a few basic T-shirts, a jean jacket, leather jacket, some tank tops?

And I always say, like, when you are in the process of losing weight, I know we're still, we're still right in the middle of the program. So a lot of you have weight to lose, but when like you want to just kind of keep it a little bit neutral. And then I think like, once you're really in a place where, you know, this is my size, I'm solidifying and everything, then you can go out and buy some fun, crazy pieces that, that are just going to like, you know, make you feel fantastic, but stay in the process. I just feel like you can mix and match them. This is when we talk about the capsule wardrobe, like those few pieces that are going to expand three, four times their size, because you can really mix and match with so many items. So you want to just focus on basics first. Okay. That makes sense.

But rather than, okay, let me go out and buy all these things that the style I want to be, but just buy some simple basics that fit you nicely. And if you feel like you have a lot more to lose or you still have a ways to go, then, you know, that investing in that, that beautiful pattern dress that you love

or, you know, whatever that might be, that might be where you're holding up. But if you're wearing those baggy clothes and you know that you need to seriously buy some new clothes, that's where you might want to, you know, sort of, you know, start to look for pieces that really bring you joy and bring you love, supposed to staples. You're so right. I wear like the same, I got this shirt from you. I literally wear the same clothes, like the same, or I might buy like a few new things. Like I got into these body suits that I love. And then I just wear those. Like I used to wear silk shirts all the

time. I hardly wear them anymore, but it's always the same. Maybe it's kind of newer stuff. It's always the same. Cause then I put, I don't wear the old, like, it's just, yeah, you have to find, but that's your comfort level, right? Like where, like what you choose every day, what you gravitate towards, that's where your comfort is. And I think that there's something to be said with, with really embracing that. Like just because you before like to wear colorful blouses and I thought you looked beautiful, doesn't mean that they worked for me, right? Like maybe that's too loud for me. Like I don't really love print. I feel like I have a lot of hair

and I'm already a loud person. And then if I have print on me, it's just overkill. Like I don't love that, but I love print on other people. So it's really just like, I love black, but I also love color, but it really depends on my mood and what I'm doing. So I think like the first thing, just start with what you have in your closet. If you're looking for flexible workouts, Peloton's got you covered.

Summer runs or playoff season meditations, whatever your vibe, Peloton has thousands of classes built to push you. We know how life goes. New father, new routines, new locations. What matters is that you have something there to adapt with you, whether you need a challenge or rest. And Peloton has everything you need, whenever you need it. Find your push. Find your power. Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca. And then when we are going out, I do want to say this.

If you can look at shopping in a more critical way and take the emotion out of it. Like I know this doesn't happen overnight. I know this is easier than it is. It sounds easier than it is. But I think that if you can look at it critically, look at it like a learning opportunity to really understand your body, what works, what doesn't work, I think that you can actually find some freedom in that and find the fun in that once you figure it out. So when you shop with us at Yaya, for example, when you come in, we ask you a bunch of questions. And you know, where are you going? What's I always ask people, what's your vibe? Like, what vibe do you want?

Like, how do you want to feel? Like, do you have any inspo? Because like when we're shopping for things like prom or we're shopping for an upcoming wedding or a date night, like, how do you want to show up? Like, you know, you have a date with a new guy and you know, you want to one day get married and have that life.

Well, what, how do you want him to perceive you when you walk into the room meeting new friends? How do you want them to see you? How do you want, you know, so it's really something to think about before you even enter a store. And then what I would say, too, is be willing to try different sizes, be willing to try things that look interesting to you. And also you have to be okay with things that don't look good. So I'll give you an easy example. Like this vest I have on today. Like I wanted to get a vest.

It's trendy. I wanted to try it out. I tried six vests. We have a lot of black vests. I tried them. They didn't necessarily all look good. They weren't all cut for my body. You know, clothing is meant to fit you, not vice versa. You're not meant to fit into this

cookie cutter style or trend or cut. So it has to fit you. So maybe it took me six, six vests to try on to find the one that worked well for me. So, and I was okay with that. Okay. This is so important because I'm thinking what's going through my mind is Julia Roberts walking into the store in Rodeo drive and wanted to buy a dress. And those ladies were so mean to her. And do you know, like I'm from that kind of generation, right? And the, the salespeople like, Oh, can I help you? And you think they just want to sell you something. And, or that, you know, when you're switching out sizes, I feel like, Oh my God, I'm a horse's ass. I've asked her to switch this size three times. She's got to run back and forth.

I have this feeling that they're either only there to sell me something and don't give a fuck what I buy, or they're annoyed by me in fact that I am asking them to help me. And I think this is important because when you go into a store I think it's the energy you bring too hey I've just lost some weight I'm trying to find my style like can I help you yeah this is what I just lost some weight I'm trying to find my style I'm not really sure right now but if you got some time to kind of help me try on some pieces, maybe I'm looking for some pants or a shirt and then maybe talk to them. I think most people, hopefully,

as opposed to maybe young kids who are just working at wherever they're working, because that's where they got a job. Um, I think I want to help you and they're there because they're into fashion and they know the clothes that are there. And, you know, I think this is really important because like, when you say that, come in and talk to me, I'm like, no way. I'm going to just be quiet, find some jeans, try some on. They don't fit after like two pairs. I'm like, I'm out, but that's not the way to shop. No, you know what? I think that the more open like for me, there's going to be our clients that come in, and they don't want to really provide too much

information. So that's when it makes it even harder. Because we're trying to figure it out, maybe based on kind of how we see your shape, your size, your age, we kind of get an energy from you and say, Okay, like, maybe she'll like these things. But once the client opens up, and once they let us in, it is magic, pure magic. And my team is so incredible with this, like we have helped tons of Libby losers, just like such a benefit of this program has been connecting with you and opening our doors to so many people that literally have never walked in before, have never really taken the time to evaluate their closet. And they come and they are all the joy.

Like they all have the Gina energy too. Like it is contagious. And my team knows if a Libby loser walks in, drop what you were doing and you go help them because they are so deserving in this moment of our full attention. And we have some fun, like I've had some fun, like every day I meet a Libby loser. Like, so, and you know what? It's never about size and it's never about weight loss. It is about how we, how many times people have said, Oh, Tanya, I just feel good. I want to feel

like, Oh, we just celebrate that. And I think it's so important. So like, don't be afraid to talk about areas of your body. Love. Don't be afraid to let us know maybe where you're self-conscious still and where you're unsure of, because this just can help us. And don't forget you're walking into a store for the first time seeing items on a hanger. That doesn't really give you much information.

So we are there every day. We see the same item of clothing on different body types, age, personalities. And we have a lot of background information on the little top hanging on that hanger on the rack. So we have a lot of knowledge. Now, not every store is going to provide you with that type of service, but that's where a little bit of influencer homework can help you save Pinterest and influencers that, you know, they can kind of guide you to certain brands. You might want to shop it or bring a friend, bring a really good friend. That's a great idea. If you see an outfit or someone just screenshot it, bring it in. I'm looking for something like this. I do want to talk about someone was like, don't diss the young ones

because they're trying to change your style, which is not necessarily a bad thing. And you know, if you go in, you're like, Oh my God, they're, they're young. What are they going to know? They might bring a fresh perspective. They might be like, Hey, try this with that. And you might be surprised. I think it is, unless you're going for that one piece, if this is about shopping for your new body, you might not find anything that day, but you'll really learn a lot about your body, what you like, what you didn't like, or you might find one piece of the 10 that you tried on, but let's also, this should be fun, right? Like I think a lot of us too, we have to speak to that. We are going into, we're going into the stores and we're not liking what we're seeing and we're not liking how we're feeling before we started

the program. And sometimes still while doing the the program if we're not there yet. So we're carrying that baggage with us when we go shopping. We're carrying that baggage with us into the change rooms when we're trying on new clothes. So we're excited, but then we're just like, ah. Well, that's why doing your homework before you enter anywhere, I think is important because it just takes the stress off. It allows you to be a little bit more calm and really remember the size on your jeans, the size on your top, the size of your shoes, only, you know, only you know. And in my closet currently, I have three or four different sizes of jeans that I'm wearing right now. And they all fit me completely different. So knowing this takes a lot

of the pressure off because a medium is not a medium everywhere you go. Yeah, that's so huge. Because sometimes we're like we I used to wear a 16. And then I could go into a store and now I'm a 12 or 14. I go to another store and I'm still a 16 and I've lost all this weight. Well, that's because of their sizing. Right. So I love that only, you know, the size inside. I think it's so important to point that out. A size is not the size anymore. Um, okay. What about other people's reactions to the new you? And then you add a new style on top of that. And that can be like, well, who do you think you are? Or, oh, you know, like, like even if you get a compliment, sometimes it's like, whoa, maybe I'm, I'm drawing too much attention to myself. How do you handle that? Because I know you've been in the limelight

with this, your, your changing body. I'm sure you've heard, I'm sure you've had stuff said to you. How do you get people like, what do you do with that? When they notice, when they don't notice, when they're not happy with it, like, how do you as we get older, you start to realize, you start to realize that you really have to take care of yourself because no one's going to show up and take you to the gym. No one's going to, you know, like you're really, you have to really worry about yourself and comments and comments and oh, you're too skinny and oh, you're too big. And oh, I don't like that top. What are you wearing? Why do you wear a crop top too big. And oh, I don't like that top. What are you wearing? Why do you wear a crop top?

Well, too bad. I don't care. I'm 37 years old. If I want to wear a crop top, that's my problem, right? So at the end of the day, I think this is all about once you realize it's about yourself and how you feel, like it doesn't matter. If someone doesn't vibe with that for me,

like take it, take matter if someone doesn't vibe with that for me, like, take it, take it for what it is. If it bothers you think about why it bothers you maybe because, and you know, at the end of the day, people are going to talk, give them something to talk about. It makes you important, you know? Yeah. And then unless they're buying my clothes, I'd be like, okay, do you, do you not like my shirt? Do you want to go buy me a new shirt? Let's go. Like, like, like I always say, like, I always say, you know, I have a house and in my house, I have certain rules. I have certain values. I take care of my house to the best of my ability. And style, certain style with your house. Like my house, my body, like if I drink like four liters of water a day and you tell me I'm going to drown. Well, I mean, I'm not. But thank you for that.

You know, I think you have to brush it off. And I think I think if it bothers you, just really look at why it does. But but at the end of the day, that's what I'm going to say. Dressing in a way that brings you joy. This is called dopamine dressing. And I know we've spoken about this before. It is such a vibe. You don't realize the psychology behind dressing yourself in a way that you feel comfortable and confident. What is sexy? What is beautiful? How is it even defined? It's so confusing when you're looking at the media. It's so superficial sometimes with filters and with all this Botox and all this stuff. Nothing

is wrong with it. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder at the end of the day. And I would say, like you mentioned, oh, you were big, but you were so confident. Yeah. That's what stands out. It's the confidence when you walk into rooms, the confidence in yourself. What is sexy? You want to be sexy. You want to be confident. You want to be stand taller. You have to first figure out how how you get that confidence and how you have to present yourself to the world and how you're taking care of yourself to find that confidence. So I think that at the end of the day, like really worry about how you feel. Don't worry about what other people are wearing, what other people are doing. You only know, try to explain the living method to a stranger. They may be like, what the heck is that? I'd be like, I don't know. I've only done like 20 rounds and I'm addicted to it. And I love Gina. Who's Gina? I don't know. Don't worry about it. It's all good. I know. I know what I need to do for myself.

Yeah. Because I recognize that I've gained so much confidence and that confidence and that dopamine dressing, it's going to bring that joy. It's gonna make you more creative. It's going to bring joy. It's going to make you more creative. It's going to set you up for success. So let's put you, I've said this before, but I think for the new members, it's really, really good to just think about this for a second. If you put on your tight jeans and they're kind of tight and you're walking out of the house and all day you're worrying about your tight jeans, they're feeling uncomfortable. Then you go eat an apple and now it's even worse and now you're bloated and you have a meeting and you're sitting there oh I can't like my jeans are so uncomfortable how can you free your mind to do anything else but think about your jeans that day yeah now put on a beautiful little shift dress some really

comfortable sandals a cute pair of gold earrings, walk out. I'm so comfy. It's a hot day. It's breezy. I feel good. Now you go to that same meeting. You have ideas. You're laughing. You're in a good mood. Someone comments something about you. Brush it off because you're feeling so good. No one can touch you today. The sun is shining. Think about the energy in that and think about how that can set you up for so much success in your journey and in your life, in any area of your life, regardless of what you do. Right. Yeah. Because that you think that putting on those jeans, it's going to motivate you. Well, if I wear these tight jeans all day, maybe I'll make better food choices. You'll probably just end up depressed at the

end of the day and hungry because you're not eating because you don't have room. Bad mood. You have a bad mood. I just, it occurred to me, I want to talk about, like, it's great when we talk about buying new clothes, but finances are an issue for some people. And to Tanya's point, I love that you said sort of buy maybe some neutral staple pieces, but there's also, you know, there's thrift stores, you know, there's all sorts of thrift stores, there's consignment stores, there's, you know, you know, again, I'm, I'm thinking we should do our own Libby loser,

like swap or something like that. But I, you know, I noticed there's like with friends, even you may have friends that you have in similar sizes, where they closets like full of clothes and and you may look at them they may have clothes like from different sizes this is something you can talk to your friends about go shopping in their closets you know so your closet their closet there's different price points you know maybe save those investment pieces until when you you know you really reach that goal those staple wedding dresses the dresses you wear to the, you know, what I have like two dresses that I wear to every wedding. Tony's like, do you have a dress?

I'm just like, yeah, I have the same dress. Well, okay. Another, another thing too, though, to remember is like, if you're looking for things right now, while you're in your journey, like look for neutrals, basics, and then also things with stretch. So like when you're working with stretchier bottoms, elastic waist, whether that be, whether that be a trouser with a stretchy waist, cause that's nice and loose on the bottom or even a denim, the denim with stretch is going to be a lot more flexible. So you're also like invest in a belt. I see it time and time again, a belt is

your best friend because you know, I've never owned one. I've never owned a belt. I've never owned one I've never owned a belt I have never you should you should never owned a belt I don't know what my problem is I have a serious issue with belts I've never at the end of the day remember something if you're afraid of size a really good place to shop is what for accessories because my earrings have no size, my belts, okay, belts, they're flexible, but a necklace, even a pair of shoes, like really, they don't have a size. So if you're wearing neutrals per se, and you want to jazz it up a bit, buy a colorful purse. Yeah, like go and buy all these colorful pieces. Say like you can if it brings you joy, do it. And I know color has a huge, a huge part in the dopamine, the dopamine story. Like it can really boost your mood and, and the color. I

can't tell you wear red because it's going to boost your mood. What does red mean to you? And is red a color that makes you happy? Is it something that makes you calm? Is it too loud for you? Like you have to, it's all personal choice. And that's, this is an area, let me just say this life is very stressful. Life is very stressful. We can't control the weather. We can't control what people say and do, but what we can control is how we show up. And I think taking the opportunity to pick out our clothes every morning and have choices, this is a huge privilege. And I think that we can choose how we want to walk out the door and choose the way we want to feel. And I think those few minutes in the morning where you can make those decisions. If you work from home, you can still choose to wake up, have a coffee, have your breakfast and get dressed. Or you can

roll out in your pajamas. So feel the energy of the two different things, right? Do what makes you happy. But at the end of the day, getting up and thinking for a minute, what am I wearing? How am I going to show up today? It's, it can impact your life in a way that you do not, you do not realize it is so special. And your journey and your journey. I love this conversation. I love that Debbie shared. I'm sorry. I thought this talk would give me no info as I know how I feel, but I love this talk. Thank you. Yeah. Learned a lot. I can't believe you felt like I did in so many ways. Yeah. Right. Like we all have that moment like we all have feels right yeah yeah it's it's so personal right but if you if you just if you just take the emotion out of it for a minute

you can really see there's a lot of benefit it's all part of self-care sleep better take your supplements eat nutrient-rich food and dress well and stay hydrated. Some people are asking influencers, if you know any that, you know, you are, if you know any that you follow specifically, I know you can find Tanya in a couple of places at Yaya. So at Yaya, that's her stores. Where are your stores? Yaya and Co. Yaya and Co. We are located in Vaughan Mills in the outlet collections in Niagara, Niagara Lake, and in Heartland Town Centre in Mississauga. We are also online. And we ship to all of Canada, which is fantastic. And you can also find me, I also have a personal

Instagram page, Tanya underscore Nicole underscore 0033, where I not only share my journey on the living method, but I also throw in some fashion in there. So I kind of mix the two. So on Yaya, primarily, I try things on, I show you what fits, what's good, like I try to really bring you in the store with me. And then on my personal page, I'm showing you what I'm eating, what I'm wearing, my energy for the day. So you're kind of, you can follow me either way. In terms of influencers, there's definitely a bunch that I follow. If you message me on my personal page, I can definitely direct someone to you that suits your body type, age and all that fun stuff for sure. I mean, use the tools that are at our disposal right at our fingertips. We have so much

information that we can gather. So you don't have to be a fashion expert, but you do have to be willing to just get out and shopping is free. Shopping is free. If you don't buy anything and you want to just go try things on and have some fun, it is free, right? And if you find something you love, that's the bonus. So I just think, think of it like that. It's better than online shopping. I think online shopping save for when you know what you're up to. Well, you know what you like, like certain pieces that you buy. And that's like, I buy the same thing over and over. So I know exactly the size. I know what I like. I usually buy like the same thing next season, but in a different color. I love what you said. Shopping is free. I want to go out on that note because it's okay to go into a store, try things on and not find anything

because maybe you will, maybe you won't, maybe you'll go back to that store. Like it's a benefit, right? You're not putting anybody out by going to the store and doing some shopping and you don't have to buy anything that you don't want to buy unless it brings you joy and you absolutely love it. So I think that's such an important, what a great way to frame shopping. Cause I hate it. I hate going to the mall. I hate shopping. You think I would love it. I don't, I just, I, I hate it, but I think I'm looking at it in all the wrong ways but I think I'm looking at it in all the wrong ways. I think I'm looking at it in all the wrong ways. Thank you. Thank you. Um, but final words to our amazing members. I know they're big fans of yours and you're big fans of them. Yeah. Well, thank you

guys for following along with me. Like I absolutely love this community and thank you, Gina, for the platform that you give me. And Oh, by the way, I know you guys had so much fun. I gave you a discount code this time, but I'm doing even better this time. Between today and Monday, we're actually 25% off our entire store. your hard work on the program or you want to come shopping online or in store come shop with me and my team we are so excited to have you it is a long weekend time to celebrate so 25 off to everyone um if you want to treat yourself what's the code no code just make it go and that's it so if you want a new piece to love it's available to you and i so appreciate this my hope that you guys learned something today because i know i'm learning every day so i mean i love sharing with you guys oh and i absolutely adore you thank you thanks everyone to join us this morning uh thanks tanya again you can follow her uh over on instagram i highly

suggest you do not only is she showing great fashion but you're also doing some really personal shares about your journey as well and you're always giving great tips um thanks everyone have a great amazing rest of your day bye thank you