The Livy Method Podcast - Maintenance & Mindfulness: Mindset Mondays - September 8, 2025

Episode Date: September 8, 2025

Maintenance Mindset Mondays is all about cracking open the conversation about what REAL maintenance looks like – beyond the scale and deep into personal transformation. Join Gina and Odette as they dive into the week’s focus, share insights on all things maintenance, and answer your questions. Whether you’re new or experienced, there’s something for everyone!In this episode, Gina and Odette kick off the Fall 2025 Maintenance Program by setting the tone for the next 91 days. They explore why maintenance is a new phase, not just a continuation of weight loss, and emphasize the importance of showing up with fresh eyes—even for returning members. Whether you're brand new to the Livy Method or joining from the Weight Loss Program, this episode walks through what to expect, what’s changing (including the new Midweek Motivation Wednesday Live time), and why this part of the journey is just as exciting, if not more, than losing weight. Expect real talk on identity shifts, mindset work, and building a solid foundation to sustain your weight for life.You can find the full video hosted at:https://www.facebook.com/groups/ginalivymaintenanceandmindfulnessTo learn more about The Livy Method and our Maintenance & Mindfulness group, visit livymethod.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 for 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. Welcome to Maintenance Mindset Mondays and day one of our fall maintenance

program. Hello and welcome. And of course, if you are new around here, my name's Gina. And this is Odette, who manages our maintenance program and will be with you every single day, every step of the way. And this is our Monday mindset prep or check-in to the week. Yeah. I think it's a little bit of all that. Maintenance mindset Mondays, I think if we're going to get technical.

But yeah, it's your check-in. It's your setup. it's your kick in the pants, as a member said it in the group this morning, you know, wanting that kick in the pants as we get going. So I think it can be a little bit of all of that. We're just to lay it out there, what the week is all about, what you need to think about, what you need to do, and get you set up for a great week ahead.

Great. So we have some members in here who are new to the Libby Method in general and lost their weight through other ways or programs who are joining us for our Incredible Maintenance Program. You probably have a lot of questions, so don't be shy about asking as many as you need. And, of course, we have some members returning and doing another round of the maintenance program to help solidify their weight. So one programming note, we are moving our midweek check-in to 12 p.m. on Wednesdays. So we're going to go live Monday and Wednesdays if you want to check in with us.

Yeah, I think that's going to be a great move. You know, we've been at, we had been at 4 o'clock on Wednesdays for a long time. and we had, you know, a lot of great members checking in, staying active. So, you know, we like to pivot, change things up a little bit. So we're going to do it at noon now and just, you know, have people really set up for that second half of the week on Wednesday just a little bit earlier in the day. So 12 noon. So 12 noon Mondays, easy to remember and 12 noon Wednesdays. I don't know if you sell my shout out on Instagram yesterday, but you had done a post about maintenance.

And I just kind of, it stopped me in the tracks to just kind of like, be like, well, whoa, I know everyone is so excited about. our weight loss program and there's so much hype around that. Obviously, there's a lot more people following along with our weight loss program. But I am just as excited, if not more excited, about the start of our maintenance program. You guys know that I love the conversations that we have in here. It's a whole other beast. So on day one of the maintenance program today, what's your main takeaway for people? What do you want people to know about the maintenance program? Okay, so day one, want to treat this day one as day one of something brand new. So yes, it's still part of your journey. Like, you know, maintenance is still part of this whole weight loss

journey, but it's a brand new place to be. So I don't want anybody coming in thinking they have to know it all or that they have to have it all figured out today or that they know everything from the weight loss program because they've done it through the living method. So they must know what's happening over in the maintenance group. So I want you to look at this as a brand new thing. So we are about familiarity. So if you've done your weight loss through the living method, a lot of it's going to look familiar here, the tweaks and the way we roll out, the way that we're eating and when is

going to seem familiar, but we do take it to the next level. So don't think that, you know, just going through the motions of eating the basic food plan is what we're talking about here. We're using those tweaks and the way we change. the food plan week over week to help us get into those bigger issues, to help us navigate things that come up, those issues and association. So that's what I want you to know. So what I want you to know is this is something that's brand new. While it can sound familiar, it is brand new. And we just want you to come in with those fresh eyes and have a look. And we're here to guide

and support every step of the way, just like you may have felt supported, you know, in your weight loss journey, however you did that. That part doesn't change. The team is here. I am here. here. So just to dive in and be part of it that way. That's what you want to know as well. Still ask the questions. If you can have the same question 10 times in maintenance, and that's okay, we're here to answer them. Yeah, I mean, the difference in the weight loss program is it's all about the things that you are learning and working on and working through that are going to help you get to a place where you lose your weight in a way you're going to maintain. In the maintenance program, bigger picture, step back is learning and working on and working through all the things that

you need to work on to get to a place where you're able to just live your life, wake up, look good, feel good, being able to trust when to eat, what to eat, and how much to eat. So you're continuing to work on those things. You're not just solidifying your weight physically. You are also solidifying your mindset. So there is a switch of going from like someone who's looking to lose weight to someone who is now maintaining their weight or actively maintaining your weight. So when it comes to the post, I would suggest don't assume you've already seen them, you've already read them, because all of the verbiage in the group, everything is specific to maintenance. And how we came up with the maintenance program is really off the heels of all the research that Ruth Kane and her

team at the University of Ottawa have done on the living method. So they studied hundreds, if not thousands of people who were successful at maintaining their weight and they put together pillars of success. And this maintenance program is built on that. So look at it as, yeah, maybe a continuation of your journey, but something that is like just brand new. And I know we talk about fresh eyes in the weight loss program when you're coming back to lose more weight, but really just fresh eyes, fresh perspective when it comes to your maintenance journey. Yeah. And speaking of those pillars, they are posted in the group. So if members want a bit of insight, they can head into the maintenance guide and the program overview is in there so we break down you know how we how these pillars

came to be what they are exactly and you know why we use them so you know we're not just saying oh this program is built on pillars and then keeping them behind the curtain no go ahead go look at them we want you to know exactly what those pillars are and how we are implementing them to help you work towards that filing forever and you know the way you said um the way you said there about the um the food plan like you know it's you're going to know when to eat how much to eat all of that what we're going to talk about too is what happens when that routine when things that you know have been going really smoothly are not going smoothly anymore what happens when that first you know unexpected situation comes up what happens when you get triggered into a really stressful place it's all about

you know moving into that place too so the nutrient rich food the hydration the movement the sleep. That's all important. But what happens when real life happens and how do you not, you know, fall back into old routines and old coping mechanisms? I know we're talking weeks down the road here, but that's what we're building towards. We're building towards that. It's not just about what to eat and when to see the scale move. It's already knowing what to eat and when getting that so ingrained so that when life does happen and life does smack you in the face and you're living this way, you're able to stay living that way without having to revert back. to where you were before. Yeah, well, in the weight loss program, it's about what weight loss

looks like and feels like to you. And the maintenance program is what maintenance looks like and feels like to you. And let's go back to the three main reasons why people gain weight back, like situational change, right, and not adapting to it. And that can be like you, you were, you lost your weight while you were at home and now you're going, you got a new job, your routine changes. There's stress in your life, your relationship changes. And why? Because we tend to fall back into old habits, right? So really solidifying those habits is really important. Not putting time into maintenance. So this is also about that routine and letting your body get used to function at your new weight. So your new weight becomes your new set point and your

body creates homeostasis around that weight and adjusting all your hormones to your new weight and whatnot. And the last one is mindfulness and not just being mindful each day and paying into paying attention, being in tune and trusting when to eat, what to eat, and how much to eat. So if you can think about those things while you go through the maintenance program. I see some questions here. Some people are talking about using our app. So if you had access to our app by doing our weight loss program, you can continue to use the app in general tracking mode and still track the things that you want to track.

We also have our Living Method Journal that is available on Amher. Amazon. If you want to put pen to paper, you can use that through maintenance as well. The maintenance group is still a little old school. This is how we originally started the weight loss program. But of course, now the weight loss program has an app and a book. We are working on all those things. And we're excited to announce that we will also have a maintenance version in our app. But it won't be available until spring of 2026. And we are also working on a book. So how you will access this information is by popping into the face. support group each day. But if you do have access to the app, you can continue to use that to track. Yeah, that's right. And for those members, too, just to make a point of if they only used the app for their weight loss journey, using Facebook now and using the group now can feel like it's already a roadblock. And don't talk yourself into that. Don't talk yourself into like, well, this is Facebook. I don't know how to use it. I'm so used to using the app. This is not going

to work for me. It will work for you. Then that's what Prep Week is here for as well, right? get yourself comfortable, take a look around, ask the questions, get to know what the word guides means, get to know what pin to featured means. Ask all those questions. That's what this week is for to make you feel super comfortable. We also, of course, have a post on how to navigate the group. So you can find that in the maintenance guide. If you can't find the maintenance guide, ask, we will get you there. So we want you just to feel really comfortable. So don't let, you know, the maintenance program not being in the app be your roadblock. It doesn't need to be the group everything you need is here and just ask we'll get you where you need to go and this will be

just like it'll feel just like home yeah and it's the same but different so we have these check-ins monday through wednesday we don't want this to be all-consuming find the guidelines i mean that's the main thing that you're going to want to find when you're doing the weight loss program but i find in the maintenance program a lot of the supplemental information is really valuable as well so create that habit pop into the group watch the check-in video review any of the information same thing, focus on the things that you need to work on, ask any questions that you have. I have a question here, speaking of, if we put back on a couple pounds of our lost weight over the summer, should we be back in the regular program, or can I stay here?

Well, just by following the program, because we're back to following the original food plan, it's kind of like back on track. So you should find that any weight that you gain over the summer will come right back down with getting back to follow the program. So it's essentially the same food plan, the same tweaks each week. the intention and the focus is completely different. So just like if you were in the weight loss program, you'd be following the same food plan right now,

but your intention obviously would be maximizing, asking those four questions, really being mindful about your food choices to try to get and keep that scale going. Obviously, you don't have to put that same kind of like attention on maximizing those things in maintenance. Now, you might for other reasons, Because people, when they do the maintenance program, they're not, for example, so focused on maximizing and doing all the things.

They're able to easily maintain their weight, but they realize they don't feel as good as they felt when they were really putting in that effort to make sure they weren't eating at night or they're trying to get the best sleep possible or they are managing their stress. Because that, when they're in the weight loss program, their motivation was getting that scale to move. When you're in the maintenance program, you might not have that same motivation, right? So I would just continue to follow the maintenance program. You should notice the weight that when you gained, if any, it's not just fluctuation on the scale, will come right back down. Now, that depends.

Like over the summer, it's hard to put on that much weight, off routine, you know, high heat, salty foods, drinking, whatever. You might see it go up a few pounds. This, you do not want to be in the maintenance program if you are still on your weight loss journey. So that's the difference. Because, for example, I've maintained my weight for over 30 years. There's times in life when it goes up and times when I'm on my lower range.

And that's why it's not about your weight staying at one number. It's about it staying within your maintenance range, which can be usually five to seven pounds, anywhere between 10 pounds. So when I'm really stressed out or I'm reverting back into old habits to cope, drinking wine, eating chips at night, my weight obviously can start to creep up. And then when I start to feel like that's not working for me anymore, then I start to get back on track. But because we are at the beginning of the program,

this is like doing back on track. So as long as you're here for maintenance, even if your weight's gone up a bit over the summer, you should see that come right back down and you can continue with maintenance. If you have purchased the weight loss program and that's your primary focus, you definitely want to make sure you are in the weight loss mindset

and you are in the maintenance group. Does that make sense? I know that was really long-winded. It's the first day. Give me a minute and get back into it. We want to give them all the information that we can. So it's like, it just keeps coming in. So two points that I wanted to make out of this comment.

I feel like you made them as well is that, you know, this member says they put on a couple pounds of, put on a couple pounds over the summer. And we're going to talk so much as the days and weeks go on about what those normal fluctuations are. And, you know, we talk about in weight loss, the scale fluctuates, it goes up, it goes down, it goes up, it goes down.

And that doesn't stop here. maintenance you don't hit that lowest low and then just sit there forever so i think it's really interesting that this came up today because we really want to um let our members know that your weight is going to continue to fluctuate we're going to talk about it so much and it really is more about going by a feeling and not necessarily you know thinking that oh the scale is up um a couple pounds i must be on that upward trend again you know trust yourself stick with the process and and and get to get to know what your normal fluctuations look like what your patterns look like and it really is going more about how you feel you the scale might say you're up a couple pounds but you might

feel fantastic you might feel amazing your clothes might even feel looser but the scale is telling you something else so we're going to really dive into that as we go along getting used those fluctuations and the other point i wanted to make was um when you touched on being in both groups at the same time so we had a member say today that she um is here here in the maintenance group because she's lost her weight, she's ready to go, but she is also still in the weight loss group. So I just want to say that while that's not, it's not a terrible place to be as long as your intentions are super clear. I think hearing those mixed, they're not even mixed messages. They're totally separate messages. You're hearing on the maintenance conversation

where this is what we're trying to do. And then you hear the weight loss conversation and that that's what they're trying to do. And you're trying to fit in. And it almost creates this chaos of like, oh, I'm not here and I'm not here because you're listening to both. So I think being really clear with your intention, if you want to be in the weight loss group, because, you know, we get that. Like, you haven't been in the maintenance group before. That's kind of a safe place for you. You want to be there. You want to be part of, you know, members whose names are familiar and being part of some of those conversations. That's fine. But have the intention of you're not trying to accomplish what they're trying to accomplish.

You are trying to accomplish what's going on over here in the maintenance group. So I think that's where we want to make sure people are super clear. If you want to be in both groups, be very, very intentional about what your goal is and what conversation you want to be a part of. It is time to hear from our podcast sponsor today. It is Colgate Parial Guard. Let's have a real conversation about health and wellness because I think talking about her oral health is underrated. I mean, we need to talk about it more. Think about it. Your home is probably

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we have so much to talk about. And if you're new to the maintenance group, just wait to the to share the stuff that we get into. I mean, it really makes sense as to why people have a hard time maintaining and sustain their weight because it is a whole totally different thing. So, for example, you might still be weighing yourself every day, right? But you're weighing yourself every day expecting to see that scale go down when in reality you're happy at your weight. And that's just the way your brain is wired, especially if you spent quite a bit of time

and a big chunk of your life trying to lose weight. Your brain is still wired in that weight loss mode. right where now you might want to get on that before you even get on the scale maybe try to guess your weight based on how you feel to get you even really in tune so you don't even need the scale you know if you had a bag of chips and a ball of wine last night that chances are your weight is going to be up your eyes are going to be all salted you might feel a little bloated you don't need the scale to tell you that right but it's all about that that mindset and really some people for example have a hard time with trust trusting that they're going to be able to trust

the choices that they're making, right? So that's why you are still very much following a structured program. I want to read this comment here from Kim. Hi, Kim. Hi, everyone. This is my second crack at maintenance. First round, I felt a little lost. And now that I've discovered what works and doesn't work, here are my goals for this round. Stay connected. Check into the Facebook support group every day. Secondly, work on my sleep habits. They suck. And as a result, nighttime snacking has reared its ugly head again and I need the support and get back on track so I can support my long-term goal of maintaining. Yeah, my brand new lighter and healthy body. So, again, for so many reasons, people gain weight back. And so obviously not only are we trying to avoid that, but really we're

trying to work through the things that we need to work through, learn the things that we need to learn and acquire the skills and the know-how. So that doesn't happen. So again, I use my example as I been able to maintain my weight for 30 years. Last couple of years, I had a lot of stress in my life. I went through menopause. I had kids with mental health. My kid's dad died, all of those things. My weight went up. I had never encountered those things before in my 30 years. And so I reverted back into coping with wine and eating chips and not managing my stress and all of those things. So my weight started to creep up. But then I also had the tools and skills when I decided enough is enough to like, all right, this is enough. I got to like really make some hardcore decisions to help

my body basically recover from all this stress. And that meant saying no to events and making sure I wasn't drinking alcohol and what there were certain things that I need to do. But I knew what I needed to do. Even though I'm a weight loss expert and I maintain my weight for over 30 years, my kid, I died. That was a huge stress like that I've never encountered before. I'm running a company at this size I've never encountered before. Menopause, I never encountered before, right? Kids with mental health issues all new to me. So that's that situational change where I went to coping mechanisms and not prioritizing myself and dealing with grief. So I just want to say it's normal to fall back into old habits. It's normal to start to gain some of the weight back. So we

really want to normalize these conversations and understand that happen, which is all part of the awareness and the tools and understanding the things that you need to focus on and do to make sure you also have the tools because you can maintain we've had people in the group maintaining their weight for years and then all of a sudden something happens and oh my god it's what's going on and this weight is coming back right so so anyway there's my point is there's a lot to talk about yeah there's a lot of and I think and that in that you know two or three minutes there I think the one thing that you said, if there's nothing else that anybody heard, was the awareness. So Kim has this awareness now that, you know, these things are starting to creep back up and I need to nip it in the bud.

Not these things are starting to creep back up and, oh, well, there's nothing I can do about it. This is just my lot. This is just, you know, how this is my, this is how it's destined to be for me. I think having this awareness that, okay, these things are starting to creep back up. this is starting to happen to me. I need to make a change. I need to take action. I really need to take action to make things happen for me. And I think that is, you know, maybe she said like the first round that didn't, that didn't click for her. She felt a bit lost. But look what she took out of that. She took out of that awareness, that learning that, okay, here I am. That was, that was the experience

I had. And I'm not letting that be the experience again. So I think that was a big part of that. that's a good insight i i'm just reading this comment from stepney who has the opposite issue where she ended up maintaining over the summer had a great summer enjoyed ice cream but her body continued to shed the weights she's down almost another 10 pounds i'm wondering if we will address when our body start losing more than what we thought we would like is i don't want to appear too thin like in the face if that's the thing i'm just wondering when my body will actually hit the end point. So, I mean, for some people, you know how hard it is to lose just one pound when you're trying to lose, right? And this comes down to feeling calm and comfortable

in your skin. But our bodies are not machines and we're not trying to control the weight that we're at. Now, I would definitely check in with your doctor to make sure you don't have any underlying health issues. There isn't more to it. But you're continuing to, you know, do things that make your body be as healthy as possible and function on the most optimal levels. And if you're carrying excess fat, then your body will release that fat. You won't lose more than what is healthy for you because you're eating in a healthy way. Right. Like we're not trying to, you know, we're not doing anything crazy or wackadoo. We are just giving the body what it needs. So it no longer feels the need to store fat. So it's not unusual for you to have reached what you thought was

a comfortable number, and then by continuing to just make healthy food choices, your body continues to release that fat. So you shouldn't end up losing more than you like. Now, there are some things that you can do. You can get into kind of switching the body's focus, like working out, focus on building muscle, making sure that you really are in tune to your portion. So let's say at the end of the weight loss program, you got used to eating small portions and you are still just continuing to eat like let's say you were down to like one egg for breakfast and now you just out of habit continue to make one egg when in reality you could probably eat two or three now because your metabolism is higher but you're just stuck on what you did rather than where you are at now so

my advice to you would be make sure when it comes time to for your meals and snacks that you are really in tune with what you need to eat now as opposed to what you're eating or how much you're eating before, if that makes sense. Yeah, and that's another big topic we're going to talk about, I feel like we're hitting everything today. Another topic that we're going to talk about as we move along, it's just being in this autopilot mode, right? And that mindfulness piece starting to wane a little bit, like, oh, I know what works for me.

I'm just going to continue doing that, even though it might not be the right thing in the moment or that day or that meal or that snack. So like you said, mindfulness being super in tune, you know, not just going through the motions, but really assessing what your body needs, you know, in the moment. Right. I just want to say to any of our new members who are joining us and who did not use the Living Method Weight Loss program for their sake of weight loss is there might be a bit of a learning curve because we do things a little differently around here.

There is a rhyme and a reason to what you are being asked to do when it comes to following those guidelines each week. So make sure you're not shy about reaching out and asking all the questions that you need to get a sense of clarity on that. I'm just noticing that we are coming to the end of our time, Odette. Anything left that you wanted to cover or any homework you wanted to give? Well, we always give homework. So for everyone that's new around here.

So if you show up, you have homework. If you don't show up, you still have homework because I know you're hanging around. The other thing that I wanted to just mention, I know that Jody just popped up. And Jody is our behind the scenes magic person. So if anybody here that's referred to Jody, that's who it is. he's he's behind the scenes i saw him just put up the shift in mindset and we've talked about this you know a little bit today and really that's what this um prep week and week one of this program is really shifting that mindset really getting you feeling comfortable from being somebody

who's losing weight to somebody who's maintaining weight and what does that mean and what does that look like for you and it's not just telling yourself that you're doing another round of the program or you're just yeah it's you're doing you are you are prepping for living your life beyond weight loss. You're not prepping to get the scale to move to the lowest low. So you want to really shift that mindset. And that can't be your goal. And it's really about establishing what that, you know, what that means for you? What, what does that look like for you? You know, take this week to think about, this is not the homework, but this is going to be part of it now that I'm saying it out loud. Take this week to think about what that looks like for you. If your goal is not,

you know, to get that number to go down on the scale, what is it? You know, what do you see for yourself at the end of all this. Is it food freedom? Is it feeling more confident? Is it feeling stronger? Is it, you know, being more agile? Is it really truly loving yourself and what you've done and where and where you are? Really think about that. And you don't have the answer today or tomorrow at the end of this week. You might not even, you might not even have it at the end of 12 weeks, but just start to think about what that looks like. I just want to say it's about visualizing who you and accepting and embracing who are you now with 20 pounds, 40 pounds, 60 pounds, 100. and 50 pounds lost.

Who are you now? And we talk about the old habits, the way you lived your life before losing the weight, you were a product of the way you were living your life. And so what are the changes that you made and need to keep doing to be able to sustain and maintain the life you're living now? Like, are you the person who gets up now

and does meditation or journaling or going for a walk? Are you the person who makes sure they're drinking their water throughout the day? are you a person like what's your mindset around food right like that's you're designing or creating the life that you want to live so you've done the physical part to get the weight off now you need to do all of the the supporting part yeah um so in terms of homework so we've been seeing um members in the group um just from yesterday and today you know they're new here and they are saying that they have fear of missing out they have that foam all of missing out of what's going on in the weight loss

group because they don't they haven't been here they've only been here for two days so so the homework the homework for this week is to find that sense of community here in the maintenance group don't only read what you are writing read what other members are saying those members that have been here for a little while and know that there if you're feeling like you you're missing out from the weight loss group know that there are other members feeling that as well and that community will get built as we go the community is there for those that have been here for a little while they know that the community is there already but if you're new and you're feeling unsure or feeling like you don't know where you fit in or you have that fear that you're missing out on whatever's going

on over in the weight loss group that is also in this group so the homework this week is to get in here read the comments see what other members are saying and know that these are your people now and this is your group now yeah because if you remember the weight loss program we're like we want you to lose your weight be able to maintain your weight and then go live your life. But we also come to understand how incredible our community is. So we are going to be providing opportunities

to connect with our community as well. So keep an eye out for that. All right. Thanks, everyone who joined us live today. I love all your comments and your questions. Keep them coming. We're going to be back on Wednesday at 12 p.m. We want to join us. And of course, if you can't join us live,

you can always watch or download and listen later. Thanks, Odette. Yeah. I don't know about you, but I'm excited about all the conversations. yet to come. Have a great rest of your day, everyone, and I'll see you on Wednesday. Bye. Bye. Thanks a day.