The Livy Method Podcast - Spill the Tea - Winter 2026: Week 8 with Marianne and Jennifer

Episode Date: March 3, 2026

In this episode of Spill the Tea, Gina sits down with longtime friends and business partners Jennifer and Marianne, who share their very real and relatable journeys through The Livy Method. From navigating perimenopause and postmenopause in their 50s to losing, gaining, and recommitting to their goals, they open up about what it’s like to evolve together through the process. With honesty, humour, and zero filter, they talk about friendship, accountability, body changes, mindset shifts, and why documenting their experience on Instagram felt like the next natural step. It’s a candid conversation about doing the work physically and mentally, and supporting each other through every season.You can find the full video hosted at:https://www.facebook.com/groups/livymethodwinter2026To learn more about the Livy Method, visit www.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. Learning to love myself a little bit more.

Just give yourself time and space. I have all the tools to adapt to whatever life throws at me. Your program is an amazing community of support. I'm already besties with my guest today. I came across their account on Instagram when I immediately messaged Kim. I'm like, we've got to have these ladies on Spill the Tea. Jennifer or Jen and Marianne. So they have known each other for about 18.

years. They've been working together for about eight years as partners. They've been doing the program together since spring, 22. They've lost. They've gained. Of course, they have a journey. Jennifer is 54, interestingly enough, and Marian is 56, but they are like worlds apart because one is in perimenopause and one is like postmenopause. Anyway, let's bring them on. Let's have a fun chat and let's see how they're doing. You're not together? You guys live about 40 minutes away from each other. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Oh, I would have thought you did like. Yeah. Okay. So you guys work together. So you've known each other for 18 years. How'd you first meet? Through real estate.

Yeah. So Marian was an administrator and I was a realtor. And yeah. And she was always the happy administrator at the one office. Okay. And you guys just clicked off. You knew you'd be friends. right away? I, yeah, I think so. Uh, sure. No, no, I think that, I think that when it's like, uh-uh,

I'm not now. No, I think, I remember her commenting on my hair, actually, years ago, because she had asked me like, oh my gosh, how do you get your hair and it looks so nice? And I was like, oh, I don't know, I just curl it, right? Kind of thing. So that's, I remember that about Marianne, one of the first times I met her. So anyways, yeah. Yeah. And then I became a realtor and then, yeah, and then the rest is kind of history. Yeah, we have the same, we have the same values. Like, we have the same kind of goals. Interests like are very similar. And I think that because of that, everything clicked. And so our work ethic works really well. And, you know, our families, like they're, you know,

they're of similar age, but it just, we can talk about things and, and we can be very open with one another, like very open. A lot in common, but your backgrounds in regards to weight loss is a little different. Like, Marian, you grew up in a household, like clear your plate. You always felt a little big, whereas Jennifer, you were always, you were pretty much thin until your 40s. How did you come together, find the living method, and decide to do that? Well, I think actually one of our colleagues,

did your program. And, you know, just talking in the back room, you know, like, geez, Shelley, what are you doing? Right. Like, and I think that's kind of, I think Jen and I both have multiple people that have been in your program. And that, like, for us, that's kind of how that began. I definitely had some, my own friend group. have people that started with your program and were like, holy shit, like, what are you doing? Because I need to do that.

But I, yeah, Jen was always skinny. I always joke. I was born a size 12. I'm a twin. I don't know how my mom did it. But, uh, yeah. Well, and, and even now your story is a little different because Jen, you are down 5.8. So you did the program, reach your goal weight, then gain weight back.

And then is it Marianne or Marion? Mary Ann. Marianne, you are, you're down 30 pounds at the program. So you're in different kind of different stages with where you're at. What's the story behind that? And how do you discuss that and talk about that? Well, it's taken me that, like that journey from the like the spring of 2022 was our first session, I think, or my first session anyway.

You know, it's, it's taken me. that long, you know, it was actually, I did four sessions to lose that 30 pounds. Yeah. And then I stuck my head in the sand for a while and didn't weigh myself. And now I'm back to I've got to lose about 10 of that that I lost. I found again. Yeah. Yeah.

And I honestly think that, like, for us, like talking about it, it's easy for us to just talk about things. Like we talk about poop. Like we just like we don't care. Right. Like because it's like, all right. Hey, this is weird because now I'm pooping more. Like what about you? And you're like, yeah, I've never had that.

Like, wow, this is weird. And I'm like, that's not normal. You should be pooping all the time. Right. Yeah. So I think that candor, like we're very candid with one another. Right. So.

And you guys decided to do your Instagram account and sort of document your journey. Why? Why? Well, A, Jen likes doing shit like that. And I kind of make me. Marianne hates it, but I'm like, okay, I think we should talk about this because part of our marketing is talking about like how we are in perimenopause and menopause. And we're actually associating that with houses. And like, you know, you can have a really strong structure.

And like, that's us. Women who have been through it done the stuff. We've got, we get it. But just because we're going through some changes, doesn't mean houses can't change. Doesn't mean you can improve a house. Well, we can improve our health. We can improve our physicality. We can do all of these things.

So we decided let's somehow link it. Well, then when I said to Marianne, yeah, I'm doing the living method. Like, I'm tired of how I look or feel again. I'm feeling frumpy. I hate that. And we've got big trips planned for this. coming here. So we're like, okay, let's talk about it. Because when you talk about it, there's an accountability, right? Now you're talking about it to other people who potentially you're

inspiring or else you're nauseating. I'm not sure, right? So I don't even, I just ignore that part. I know. Here is here. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we don't watch ourselves back. We just post it. Yeah. Yeah. Same. Unless we put too many F-bombs in there. Then you edit a little bit. What if you, what surprised you most about the conversation? What do you think of the conversation out there that everybody else is having? Like, what are your, what are your thoughts about it? You've been doing this for a while. I mean, the conversations that we have in our space are a little different than what is happening in the rest of the world or out there in the diet industry. What do you, what do you think of all of it? So are you talking specifically? about the discussion of menopause or the weight gain or both going together. Well, it's interesting because you are, you can have the discussion of menopause, but you guys, we have so many great discussions in the group, right? Talking about sleep and horma.

It's that education piece that a lot of women don't have access to. So just kind of like what other women are dealing with or what you see out there in the world versus kind of this inner circle that you have here and you're getting on your Instagram and you're talking about your journey. What do you think of all of it? Like, what's your take on where women are at now with their health or wellness, menopause, weight loss? Personally, I feel like women are really feeling more empowered and that ability to actually communicate more openly. There isn't a secret.

Like, it's like, we always say you can't be a secret agent. Well, I also, to be successful, right? And so I think that even this, having conversations about actually what's happening, it's not an oversharing as much as it's kind of normalizing. I don't know if that's the right word, but normalizing what you're going through. Now, I'm not saying that what you're going through is normal because we shouldn't say, oh, yeah, just because you go through menopause, you get fat. Well, no, you know what?

That's maybe not normal. If you're experiencing huge weight gain, there's something else going on. So I think it's understanding that, but I think that we're questioning more. We question everybody, our doctors, we're with friends. We ask questions. Well, what's different about you? What's working for you? That doesn't work for me.

Like, Jim, other ideas. So I think there's more openness. I think so, too. Like, I think there's a lot more dialogue. Like, I think dieting, perimenopause, periods. kids like I think you know my mom's generation they know that was taboo like you didn't talk about that kind of stuff right and I think you know what Jen and I are doing but like with our friends and other people like it's okay to talk about that and I think that people you know especially with

the living method I think it's out there right and people are like you know what I can do that and it's and it's normal. Yeah. And it's forgiving. I think that's the whole thing for me is it's very forgiving. And you remind me of that. You always say like, Jen, don't be so hard on yourself. It's okay. Yeah. Pick yourself back. I always say to Jen. Fuck it. Eat the cake. It's okay. Eat and eat the cake. Or drink the beer. Just drink more water. Yeah. Learning how to live your life. What's been the hardest thing about following the program? Like, what do you struggle with most? Last week. I hated last week.

Yeah. The last three days, I hated it. I, I don't like it. I hate splitting meals. It's not convenient. It's uncomfortable. It is everything I hate. I just want to eat my food, be done with it, go into the kitchen, clean up and move on to the next thing.

And plus, things taste yucky when they're not hot anymore. Like, I can't split my egg in half. That's gross when it's cold. I must have egg salad. So like I'm just like I can't do that. So Mary loved it. I love I I've been sick. Like I've had a head cold and I do feel kind of poopy, but I actually really enjoyed the splitting of the food.

Like Jen and I are the same, but we're ying and yang. Like Jen gets hungry. If she doesn't eat, I could just, I could just eat or not eat. But for me, I loved last week, I'm my biggest problem. I'm my biggest hurdle. I am trying to get better at being more prepared. But I think that for me is my biggest hurdle, is me. Yeah.

It's always been me, right? Well, you have two bit of a different backgrounds, right? So growing up in a Hungarian household and you just, you had to eat what's on your plate. Like, that's a little, that's a bit of a contrast. too. That's a bit of being in Yang or is Jen, you were different, raised differently. No, I grew up on a farm as well. And so we ate very healthy meals, but definitely it was one of those. If the liver was put on your plate, you're eating it and you're not leaving the table until you eat it kind of thing, right? So, you know, you take away those things and you think,

okay, I don't want to do that to my kids because that was agonizing and like I just wanted to vomit, it, right? Like, that's what I remember thinking. But, um, so I think like in that sense, there was the whole, you know, food is, um, scarce. Like, we, we didn't come from, like, it wasn't our farm, but my mom basically canned everything, right? We were given a beef and a cow. That's what the farmer did for us. So we ate well, but waste, not want not. Like, that was the way it was. that's why you're eating liver yeah that's gross

what's your what what I was going to say and the other thing is because one of the comments I made on my write up

was this whole vanity thing and I remember and this is how my mom grew up my mom grew up very much like if you look in the mirror and you print yourself your vain, right? So my mom passed that on to me. If you spend too much time making yourself look good,

there's vanity. Your vein. You shouldn't do that. And so I think it's interesting because I never had a weight problem. And I don't even say I have a weight problem now. It's just that I'm not comfortable, right? And so I think, well, unfortunately, vanity does play a role in it. And there's a little part of me, that feels guilty about that. Right? So, yeah. Yeah.

So what do you learn in about that? I'm learning. I got to deal with it. Is that a worthy thing? Is that like a feeling worthy of like? Because like, is like, yeah,

I think I think it definitely comes down to sort of how you feel about yourself and like, you know, maybe also how other people see. you and like and that's why I wrote about this whole comparison we compare each other um to other women and um and I look at other women and I want to lift them up when they're feeling down but then it's that question why can't you do that for yourself right like it's so much easier to look at other people and help them than it is to give yourself a hand up right do you find that

about women and culture I just kind of I'm in this thing lately where it just seems it just seems like there are a lot of great women out there lifting each other up and then women are the first to criticize. I know. What is that about? You guys find that? I do. Mary Ann? I do. I think more so out in the social world as opposed to like not not in my world. Right. I tend to not to not to surround myself with people that are like that. Yeah. I think yeah I think that everyone out in the social world is just trying to be better than the last person. Yeah. They're trying to want themselves, maybe.

And I think the problem in real estate is it's almost like glamorizing. Everybody is like sunset Oxford or whatever. And I think that that is so unrealistic. And so when you see yourself and Marianne and I, we just, we literally just take videos on the fly because I don't care. But, you know, you then you put that video besides somebody else who's all glammed up and looking fine. And you're just like, boo. So you guys, you guys aren't like the selling sunset girls with your little short short mini skirts and all your little glam glam, you know?

We wear jeans and t-shirts and sandals. We're just, we're kind of the real realtors. We're just, we just lay it out there. And, you know, that's how we are. So I don't know. So we try to, I try not to look at other people's social media because it becomes this comparison game, right? And who needs that? Right.

You don't need that kind of shit in your life because there's, there's so many other things going on. Yeah. I've stopped doing that, the scroll thing, because like I'll get on. I'll just stop feeling bad. I'll start feeling bad I'm not doing enough or I need a facelift or like something going on or I'm listening to women bicker about stuff when there's no contacts to anything. And then I find this AI stuff. Everything is like AI now. And like there's nothing that's real anymore.

And people are putting like AI videos of themselves out there trying to be real. I mean, like it's one thing if you put something up that's clearly fake. But it's a lot. It's a lot. It is. And that's why I think I know as much like social media is that love hate thing, right? It really gets exposure. It gets you out there.

But the hate part is that you're out there. Right. So the things you say and do are always going to be there. But it's a great, this was a great way for us to showcase that accountability. We're doing this. We're doing it with Gina. And other people have commented on it. Like, oh my gosh, that's so cool. Like, right? Yeah. Do you feel it's keeping you accountable? Like, do you really feel that? Like, and it's hard to follow through. A lot of people have started it and they don't follow through on it. Like, do you, what do you feel the pressure? Do you feel like, like how is it helping? Jen and I, like with the Livy method or with real estate or with really whatever goes on in our life, like we are what keeps each other accountable. So I think like Jen's not going to let me give up and I'm not going to let her give up. Yeah. So I think that we are what motivate each other to move forward. Yeah. In all aspects.

Yeah. And so with gaining the weight and then losing the weight, reaching your goal, and then gaining the weight back, what was that? What's that like? Well, for me, it was just putting my head in the sand. I didn't gain all my weight back. Like, not at all. But, you know, I'm never going to not. weigh myself, at least, if not daily, but at least weekly. I think I put my head in the sand and just went, no, I'm doing really good because my pants still fit. I haven't had to go to a different size, right? And I think, yeah, the weight just kind of the scale crept up. And like Jen said, we both have big trips coming up.

And that was kind of, you know, the reason that I started it in the first place was I had a trip. And so, you know, I think sometimes we need that extra little push to push us forward. Yeah. And I'll say for me, I think it was like, okay, as long as I stay under this number, right? So I had like in my mind kind of set this, not a target number, but it was like a target max number. And then it creeped up over that. And then I said, oh, I don't look so bad. That's all right. my pants aren't changing because I was never necessarily gaining it in the hips or anything. I was gaining it under my like bra, like my rib cage down into like where my belly button is. So I was becoming like a barrel, right?

And and then you just wear clothes that kind of cover it up. But then you're like, you got the muffin top because I'm refused to go buy new pants, right? Because they fit in the ass. They just don't necessarily fit so good. And every time this is what I think about, I think about my grandma Allen. She used to wear elastic pants all the time. And then when I go shopping, I'm just like, oh, I'll buy pants like Grandma Allen. Like polyester pants.

Yeah, so easy. How those become more and more appealing as we get older. I know. I know. That's why all the Lulu lemon pants are out there, right? Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Just a little bit better than the polyesters. A little bit. A little bit. Do you guys get really real with each other? Like if you see one of you go off the rail, are you like, do you kind of like say something? Like what's your advice for friends who are doing the program together or thinking about doing it together or maybe someone's thinking about asking their friend to do it? Like, is there a line there? Do you ever be like fuck off, leave me alone? Like, like how do you, how do you navigate that? What's that look like?

Like one wants to eat a salad, one wants to eat pizza. Like what does that look like? We just do it. Like the other day I was walking behind Jen and I said, your ass looks really good, right? I don't know if I would say, because Jen is skinny. Like she's small.

Yeah. She doesn't think she is, but like I don't think her bum will ever get big. She really doesn't have a bum. But like, she's kind of. of those one of those i got a hungarian bomb i got a hungarian boobs i got it all jen wasn't born that way no i wasn't i had no boobs i still have no boobs i am a boy my body my head's a girl my body's a boy you got gray hair though you got gray hair but i i i don't think well you know i i don't know if i would if she asked me i would be complete

honest. Yeah. But I wouldn't, yeah. I surround myself with people. If I ask them, they're going to tell me. And I better be ready for the hard truth. If I don't want to know it, I best not be asking. Right. And so, and that's, that's all my friends. They're all like that. And they're, and I, and that is what I value in a friendship. I don't want somebody to sugarcoat something for me. How have friendships changed for you? as you get older, do you find that you've had to say goodbye to some friends that were just not? Season and reason. Yeah.

I've always said that, you know, you're in my life for a reason and a season. And I've had wonderful friends, like from the time I was 14 all the way up to now. But, you know, I've had newer friends, but I'll say Marianne's friend group is way larger than mine. I have different pockets of people. You've come into my life at different times of my life, right? So, yeah, so I do have different pockets of people that have come in my life. Some have left, but I'm thankful that the majority of them have stayed. Yeah.

But the ones who've left. I always think, yeah, you were there for a reason and you brought this to my life. And like, you know, whether or not we're friends now, I got no hard feelings towards them because I just think it's okay because why do I have to have hard feelings? Then it just, it kind of makes that relationship that we had shitty. Yeah. I don't want that. Yeah.

Yeah. It's run its course. It served its purpose. There was some value in that. People ask you about the living method. Like what do you, they see you going on. They see you doing your thing. That's what's like the weirdest thing anyone said or asked about it.

Oh. Honestly, I think I haven't had anyone, but they're like, oh, I didn't know you were doing it. Like, and that's where I think for me, like, and people on social media, they're like, I didn't know you were doing it. Or, you know, at the beginning where you're seeing like people answer. And I'm like, hey, shit, they're doing it too, right? So we did put out something today. And we've had some people like commenting and, you know, hey, I'm going to watch, I'm going to watch you guys today. I'm going to listen, right?

Shout out to Andrea and Karen because they are doing Livy with us. Yes. And they are killing it. And same with my cousin, Nikki. Like she's doing it, which I didn't know that she was. And it's funny because she actually was so excited. Do you know that you had commented on our Instagram? She was just tickled pink.

She's like, oh my God. She's following her. I was fan girling. I was fan girling. I can hear our music. I can't believe. How did this time go by so quickly? You know, I love it.

It's like hanging out. And you guys have that, you just that relaxed connection, just talking about it, supporting each other. I love that. What's next for you guys? Like, are you close to your goals or ways away, Don't even thinking about it?

Where are you at? For my weight goal, not close yet. I need to do more. So I'm going to plug through and keep going. Okay. Yeah. Same thing as you, Marian. Yeah, me too.

Yep. You know, I've hit a couple stumbles, but I'm going to pick up my socks and keep at it. All right. Can we share your Instagram handle? where can people just come and find you? Can we, do we have that for the ladies? You guys can pop up. There you go.

Your Oxford connection. Your Oxford connection. I just say it was selling Oxford. Is that what you guys? Yeah, no, that's what I said. If we were in like the sunset, we'd be selling Oxford, but we're not. I love it.

Well, it was, I just, you know, this is really self-serving. I wanted to meet the two of you. I wanted to chat. Just see where you're, why and what's going on and you did not disappoint. Thank you so much. Before we go, can we get one tip from each of you? One tip. If you could share one tip, what would it be? Give yourself. Don't put your head in the sand. You're like the opposite. I'm like, give yourself permission. I mean, give yourself grace. Give yourself grace.

Eat the fucking cake. That's what I always say. And they eat the fucking cake and give yourself some grace. But they also don't bury your head in the sand. I love it all. I love you, ladies. We're going to check back in with you and see where you follow them on Instagram, everyone. Thanks for joining us live. Thanks for coming to hang out with us. We need wine. We need something. We're making a party next time. Thanks, ladies. All right. Thanks. That's it. There's no secret to it. It's no, it's just like recognizing where you're at, what you need, you're on journey. And if you have friends or loved ones or don't have anyone, that's what the community is all about. So I hope you enjoyed just hanging out. I was going to say,

hanging out and shooting the shit with us because that's kind of what it felt like today. I love that. No sort of intention. Just being real. Thanks to the ladies for coming to join me. Tomorrow we are talking pelvic health. Talk about getting up close and intimate with Aaron de Gagne. It actually was a conversation that I'm like, I'm not sure we need to talk about this. And I remember having it with Aaron a couple years ago. And people went crazy over this conversation. How do you know it's just drinking more water and needing to P versus actually having an issue of pelvic health issue and it affects everybody. So we're going to have that much more, much, all that and much more, the rest of the week.

Have a great rest of your night, everyone. Thanks for joining me.