why losing weight feels harder than ever — and what one canadian program is doing differently
“we start with what your body actually needs to function properly,” says gina livy, founder of the livy method, a canadian-based weight-loss program focused on sustainable change
published feb 03, 2026
4 minute read
4 minute read
gina livy is on a mission to help women see that their bodies aren’t broken, they just need a different kind of care. supplied
this story is sponsored by
aquaomega
this story was created by content works, postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of a client.
every january, weight loss tops the list of new year’s resolutions. yet every year, many feel overwhelmed before they even begin. keto, intermittent fasting, hormone resets, detoxes, calorie tracking — the options are endless. for people who have already tried multiple programs without success, the idea of starting again can feel more discouraging than motivating.
“most people don’t fail at weight loss,” says gina livy, founder of the livy method, a canadian-based weight-loss program focused on sustainable change. “they’re failed by approaches that ignore how complex the human body actually is.”
livy argues that weight gain and weight retention aren’t simply about overeating or lacking discipline. instead, she says, they’re driven by a combination of biology, stress, hormones, sleep, digestion, emotional health and long-standing dieting behaviours that push the body into survival mode.
“when you constantly restrict food, your body doesn’t interpret that as self-improvement; it interprets it as danger,” livy says. “it slows your metabolism, increases hunger signals, and holds onto fat. then people blame themselves when their body is just doing its job.”
that cycle — restrict, lose, plateau, regain — is what livy says she sees in many of the people who come to her program. “by the time they get here, they’re frustrated and convinced something is wrong with them.”
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livy created the livy method to address that disconnect. rather than a prescriptive, rigid diet, the program focuses on supporting the body’s basic needs — consistent nourishment, blood sugar stability, adequate protein and fibre, stress reduction, sleep and emotional awareness — so that the body no longer feels the need to defend stored weight.
“we don’t start with what you need to cut out,” livy says. “we start with what your body actually needs to function properly.”
dr. paul hrkal, a naturopathic doctor who recommends the livy method to patients, says that approach aligns closely with physiology. “when the body perceives stress, whether from under-eating, over-exercising, emotional strain or lack of sleep, cortisol goes up, insulin sensitivity drops, inflammation increases and fat storage becomes more likely,” he explains. “you cannot out-discipline biology.”
he adds that many popular diets inadvertently worsen the very problems they claim to fix. “starvation-based approaches can suppress metabolism, disrupt hormones, and increase binge-restrict cycles,” he says. “people don’t understand why they’re not losing weight, when what’s happening is their body is in fight or flight mode and is responding appropriately to a perceived threat.”
dr. paul hrkal is a naturopathic doctor who recommends the livy method to patients. nick kozak
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another misconception, livy says, is around emotional eating. “people label it as weakness, but emotions are information. stress, grief, loneliness, exhaustion — all of these influence appetite. food often becomes a coping mechanism when other needs aren’t being met.”
rather than trying to eliminate emotional eating, livy’s program focuses on understanding it. “why you eat can be more important than what you eat,” she says. “we don’t just eat to survive; we use food to show love, to celebrate and as a stress-reliever. and the most important thing is to recognize that all the thoughts and feelings you have when you’re trying to make any kind of change are valid and give you insight into what you need to work on.”
the program also acknowledges that hormonal changes can affect weight, particularly for women in perimenopause and menopause. “estrogen, progesterone, insulin, thyroid hormones — they all affect how your body stores and releases fat,” dr. hrkal says. “if those systems are off, weight loss becomes more difficult, regardless of calorie intake.”
both dr. hrkal and livy point to supplements as supportive dietary tools. dr. hrkal says supplements help optimise the body’s metabolism during weight loss. “they help give the body building blocks to function properly,” he says.
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he describes what he calls “the foundational five.”
“vitamin d is essential for its immune-regulating and anti-inflammatory effects. omega-3s are key for their ability to regulate blood sugar and promote healthy fat metabolism. minerals, such as magnesium, help support a healthy immune system,” he says. “i would put b vitamins in the fifth category because they can become depleted through stress.”
livy says many women come to her after decades of dieting, feeling betrayed by their bodies. “we help them see that their bodies aren’t broken, they’ve just changed. and they need a different kind of care now.”
that care, livy says, produces results, often without the rebound weight gain people expect. she says participants report not only weight loss, but also better sleep, improved digestion, increased energy and a more positive mood.
what distinguishes the livy method, she says, is education and community. participants have the opportunity for daily check-ins and are taught how their bodies work, why they respond the way they do and how to adapt habits over time.
“what i love to see is people improving their relationship with food and improving their relationship with themselves. they are more self-aware and more in tune with making the changes they want in their lives,” she says.
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“the way we go about weight loss is no different from reaching any other goal. once you accomplish it, you become hopeful about making other changes in your life.”
to learn more about the livy method, visit livymethod.com.
this story was created by healthing content works, healthing.ca’s commercial content division, on behalf of aquaomega.
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