If you’re in perimenopause or menopause, you might have noticed your body changing. Maybe we’re noticing our bodies responding differently to what we eat. And it’s more than just about weight gain and hot flashes. Frustrated? You’re not alone. But if you’ve heard of Gina Livy and her remarkably successful Livy Method, you may already know that mindfulness plays a huge role in our relationship with what we consume.
Gina Livy is the founder and CEO of Weight Loss by Gina Inc., a business that helps people lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way, so they can move on with their lives and never have to worry about weight loss again. There is no counting calories or special meals to purchase. But even if you’re not looking to lose weight, her method is a great way to establish healthier eating habits for the long term.
Menopause Matters: Why Your Weight Changes
According to the Menopause Foundation of Canada, an estimated 10 million Canadian women are over the age of 40 and are in perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause. And, we’re all trying to understand what is happening to our bodies.
Let’s face it, there are many changes happening in our bodies during menopause. We might not be able to process what we consume as we used to. Also, we may be more in tune with our bodies now, and we’re educating ourselves more than ever before.
We understand menopause goes beyond weight-gain. Symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, migraines, heart palpitations, and skin concerns are only a handful of issues.
So, how can we navigate this stage in life? Could we be more mindful in what we eat and in our lifestyle choices? We checked in with Gina Livy recently and asked her to shed light on why mindful eating matters more than ever.
How do hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause affect appetite and cravings?
Gina: Hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause can significantly change how hunger, fullness, and cravings show up, and for many women this is the first time food feels unpredictable or louder than it used to.
Fluctuations and eventual declines in estrogen affect insulin sensitivity, blood sugar regulation, and how efficiently the body uses energy. This can lead to increased hunger, stronger cravings for quick energy foods, and less tolerance for skipped meals or inconsistent eating.
At the same time, changes in progesterone can impact sleep and stress resilience. Poor sleep and higher stress levels increase cortisol, which further drives appetite and cravings, especially later in the day.
What’s important to understand is that this isn’t about aging, willpower, or “losing control.” It’s the body adapting to a new hormonal environment and asking for more consistency, nourishment, and support.
This is why mindful eating becomes more important in midlife, not as a way to restrict, but as a way to stay connected to what the body actually needs in real time. When women learn to respond to these changes instead of fighting them, eating becomes calmer and more sustainable again.
Why do many women feel like what worked for them before suddenly doesn’t?
Gina: Because their bodies have changed, even if no one ever told them to expect that.
During perimenopause and menopause, hormonal shifts change how the body responds to food, stress, sleep, and exercise. Strategies that once relied on pushing harder, eating less, skipping meals, or over-exercising often stop working and can actually make things worse.
Lower and fluctuating estrogen affects insulin sensitivity, muscle mass, and fat storage. At the same time, increased stress load, poorer sleep, and a slower recovery capacity mean the body is less forgiving of extremes.
What used to work was often dependent on hormones quietly doing a lot of the work in the background. When that support changes, the same tactics no longer deliver the same results.
The mistake many women make is blaming themselves and doubling down on outdated strategies. The smarter approach is adjusting how you eat, move, and care for yourself to match the body you’re in now.
This isn’t failure. It’s a transition. And once women understand that, they can stop fighting their bodies and start working with them again.
Diet culture messaging has always fed our insecurities with our bodies – what concerns you the most?
Gina: What concerns me most is how diet culture convinces women that their bodies are the problem, especially during midlife.
For decades, women have been told that weight gain, changing appetites, and shifting body composition are personal failures rather than normal physiological transitions. The messaging hasn’t evolved, even though women’s bodies have. Instead, it doubles down on restriction, fear, and the idea that smaller is always better.
In midlife, that messaging becomes especially harmful. Women are already navigating hormonal changes, increased stress, sleep disruption, caregiving roles, and mental load. Adding shame-based food rules and unrealistic expectations only increases stress, which directly works against health and weight regulation.
What we need to rethink now is the belief that control equals health. Restriction might produce short-term results, but it often worsens hormone imbalance, disrupts metabolism, and erodes trust with food and body over time.
Get Moving: Couch to 5K Races and Many More Canadian Running Events
This stage of life calls for a different conversation. One that prioritizes nourishment, consistency, muscle, sleep, stress management, and self-trust over punishment and aesthetics. When women stop trying to “fix” their bodies and start supporting them, everything changes.
The Livy Method isn’t a traditional diet program, and for many, including myself, it’s been absolutely life-changing. For those who aren’t familiar, can you tell us a bit about it and why you felt the need to extend it to include menopause?
Gina: The Livy Method was created because traditional dieting wasn’t working, and I lived that reality myself for decades. It’s not about eating less, pushing harder, or overriding your body. It’s about understanding how your body actually works and supporting it in a way that fits real life.
At its core, The Livy Method is a structured, science-informed approach that focuses on consistency, nourishment, routine, and awareness. We don’t count calories or weigh food. Instead, we focus on feeding the body properly, regulating blood sugar, supporting hormones, reducing stress, and rebuilding trust with food and with yourself. That’s why it works long-term, not just temporarily.
Extending the program to include menopause was essential because so many women were coming into the program feeling confused and frustrated. They were doing “all the right things,” yet their bodies were responding differently than before. Appetite changes, fatigue, sleep disruption, stubborn weight, mood shifts. No one had explained that menopause changes the rules.
Menopause isn’t a detour from health. It’s a new phase that requires a different level of support. Women need education, reassurance, and strategies that reflect what’s actually happening hormonally and metabolically, not more restriction or blame.
The menopause component allows us to layer that understanding in. It helps women work with their bodies instead of against them, and it gives them the confidence to stop chasing old solutions and start building habits that support where they are now.
That’s what makes it life-changing. It’s not just about weight loss. It’s about finally feeling informed, supported, in tune and, for lack of a better word, feeling in control again.
What mindset shifts do you feel are important when it comes to instilling better eating habits as we navigate this stage?
Gina: The most important mindset shift is moving from control to collaboration with your body.
For many women, the habits that shaped their eating in earlier years were rooted in restriction, urgency, or fixing something that felt “wrong.” In midlife, that approach tends to backfire. The body is less tolerant of extremes and more responsive to consistency and care.
Another key shift is letting go of comparison to your younger self. What worked at 30 is not the benchmark at 45 or 55. Holding onto that expectation creates frustration and self-blame instead of progress.
It’s also important to stop viewing hunger, cravings, or changes in appetite as problems to eliminate. They’re feedback. When you listen instead of react, you can adjust without spiralling.
Finally, patience becomes essential. Hormonal changes don’t resolve overnight, and neither do habits built over decades. Sustainable eating at this stage isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up consistently, staying curious, and trusting that small, supportive choices compound over time.
When women make these mindset shifts, eating becomes calmer and more intuitive.
There are a lot of supplements out there to support us. What are your top 3 must-haves for women during menopause?
Gina: Before diving into supplements, it’s important to remember that they’re meant to support your foundation, not replace it. Things like eating consistently, managing stress, and prioritizing sleep will always matter most. Supplements can be helpful, especially during menopause, but they work best when they’re part of a bigger picture.
That said, there are a few foundational ones that come up again and again because deficiencies are common and they can make a real difference when it comes to how women feel during menopause.
If I had to narrow it down to three, they would be:
Omega-3s
These support inflammation, joint health, brain health, and heart health, all of which become more important during menopause. They can also support mood and help with recovery if stress levels are high.
Magnesium
This one is huge. Magnesium supports sleep, muscle relaxation, stress regulation, and digestion. Many women are deficient, especially if they’re stressed, not sleeping well, or very active. Improving magnesium status alone can noticeably improve how women feel day to day.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is critical for bone health, immune function, and mood. Deficiency is very common, especially in northern climates and during winter months. Supporting vitamin D levels becomes increasingly important as estrogen declines.
I always encourage women to work with a healthcare provider, get blood work when possible, and individualize from there. More is not better. Better is better.
Supplements should make the process feel easier, not more complicated or overwhelming.
I love that you also have a podcast! Truthfully, I listen during my dog walks! Tell us more!
Gina: My podcast is an extension of the conversations I’ve been having with women for decades. It’s a place where we talk honestly about weight, health, hormones, mindset, and what actually makes change stick, without hype, shame, or oversimplified answers.
I bring on experts I trust and respect, including doctors, psychologists, dietitians, sleep specialists, and fitness professionals. We dig into topics like menopause, metabolism, stress, sleep, food relationships, emotional eating, and long-term maintenance in a way that’s practical and human, not clinical or overwhelming.
What I love most is that these conversations meet women where they are. We’re not chasing trends or quick fixes. We’re focused on education, awareness, and helping women feel informed and empowered to make choices that work for their real lives.
The podcast reinforces the same message as The Livy Method: when you understand your body and stop fighting it, everything gets easier.
What do you wish every woman knew about eating through menopause?
Gina: I wish every woman knew that her body isn’t betraying her; it’s changing.
Menopause is not a signal to eat less, try harder, or regain control. It’s a signal to become more intentional, more consistent, and more supportive in how you eat and care for yourself.
Hunger, cravings, and changes in appetite are not problems to eliminate. They’re feedback. When you respond with nourishment instead of restriction, the body settles.
I also wish women understood that mindful eating during menopause isn’t about being perfect or rigid. It’s about paying attention, trusting your cues, and making choices that help you feel better today and over time.
This stage of life is an opportunity to stop fighting your body and start working with it. When women shift from punishment to partnership, eating becomes calmer, weight loss becomes more sustainable, and confidence returns.
That’s the conversation we need to be having.
I’ll also add this. I’ve lived this transition myself over the past few years, and I’m happy to say I’m now post-menopause and feeling better physically and mentally than I have in a very long time. That didn’t come from restriction or chasing quick fixes. It came from learning how to support my body through change, and that perspective shapes everything I teach.
Thanks for taking the time to chat, Gina Livy!
*****
Additional Resources we found interesting…
Did you know there are more than 30 symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause? Find the list here: menopausefoundationofcanada.com
Interested in learning more about weight loss and menopause with The Livy Method? Visit livymethod.com