Gina Livy shares her expert tips with HOLR Magazine on how to start the New Year feeling balanced—not burned out.

New Year, new you? How about a better, more balanced you.

Gina Livy, founder of The Livy Method (now with 147K members and 6.4M podcast downloads), challenges the “new year, new you” mindset by championing a realistic, non-diet, behaviour-first approach that helps Canadians break the holiday guilt cycle and rethink the January reset.

With 2026 officially underway, Livy explains why routine—not restriction—is what drives real change, especially when it comes to managing stress, prioritizing sleep, and approaching the reset our bodies actually need. She emphasizes that by focusing on small, achievable goals, people can build momentum in 2026 without putting unnecessary pressure on themselves.

With that mindset in place, Livy is sitting down with HOLR to break down how to confidently reset after the holidays, avoid burnout, and approach the new year in a way that actually feels sustainable.

Some people start January feeling guilty about their holiday habits. From your POV, why does this “holiday pound” have more to do with stress and disrupted routines than actual overeating?

During the holidays, routines fall apart. Sleep is off. Stress is higher. Schedules change. We’re eating at different times, traveling, socializing more, and often running on less rest. All of that impacts the body far more than a few festive meals.

When sleep is disrupted and stress is elevated, hormones that regulate hunger, fullness, and fat storage shift. Cortisol goes up. Blood sugar becomes less stable. Digestion slows. The body moves into protection mode, not fat-loss mode. So what many people interpret as weight gain from “too much food” is often inflammation, water retention, and a nervous system that’s been under strain.

What I see over and over is people blaming themselves for something that’s actually a very normal physiological response. The body isn’t keeping score of indulgent moments. It’s responding to stress, lack of routine, and inconsistency.

That’s why January isn’t about punishment or restriction. It’s about re-establishing structure. Getting back to regular meals, better sleep, hydration, and daily routines. When you support the body again, it does what it’s designed to do. The scale settles, energy improves, and that “holiday weight” often resolves without extreme measures.

This is exactly why sustainable weight loss has to be rooted in lifestyle, not guilt. When you understand what your body actually needs and respond with consistency instead of criticism, everything changes.

Many people try to “be good” or overly restrictive through December, only to feel burned out by January. Why do restrictive approaches tend to backfire during the holidays—and make it harder to start the new year feeling balanced?

December is busy. There’s more socializing, more emotional demands, more disruption to sleep and routine. When people try to “be good” by cutting back, skipping meals, or white-knuckling their way through it, the body experiences that as additional stress, not discipline.

Restriction sends the message that food is scarce and control is required. In response, hunger hormones increase, cravings intensify, and the nervous system stays on high alert. Mentally, it creates an exhausting push-pull: trying to resist food while constantly thinking about it. That combination is a recipe for burnout.

By January, people aren’t just tired of the holidays, they’re tired of fighting themselves. They start the new year already depleted, both physically and mentally, which makes consistency harder, not easier. That’s when guilt creeps in and people feel like they need to “start over,” even though nothing has actually gone wrong.

A more balanced approach recognizes that consistency doesn’t mean perfection. Eating regularly, supporting your body, and allowing flexibility during the holidays keeps stress lower and energy steadier. When January comes, you’re not recovering from restriction. You’re simply resuming your routine.

That’s why sustainable weight loss isn’t about being stricter during busy seasons. It’s about choosing approaches you don’t need to escape from. When your body feels supported instead of controlled, starting the new year feels grounded and realistic, not overwhelming.

How do stress, lack of sleep, and emotional overload affect cravings and weight fluctuations as we head into the new year?

When stress is high, the body prioritizes survival over fat loss. Cortisol rises, blood sugar becomes harder to regulate, and the body looks for quick energy. That’s when cravings for carbs, sugar, and comfort foods increase. It’s not a lack of willpower, it’s the body trying to manage stress and stay functional.

Sleep plays an equally important role. Poor or disrupted sleep alters the hormones that regulate hunger and fullness, making people feel hungrier and less satisfied, even when they’re eating enough. Decision-making becomes harder, patience wears thin, and cravings feel louder. Over time, the body also retains more water and inflammation increases, which shows up as weight fluctuations on the scale.

Emotional overload adds another layer. When people are mentally exhausted, food often becomes one of the easiest sources of relief or control. Not because they’re doing something wrong, but because they’re human. The problem starts when these normal responses are interpreted as failure, leading to restriction, guilt, and more stress, which only perpetuates the cycle.

As we head into January, many people assume they need to eat less or try harder. In reality, what their bodies need is support. More consistent meals. Better sleep. Reduced stress where possible. Predictable routines. When those foundations are restored, cravings settle, the scale stabilizes, and weight loss becomes easier to sustain.

That’s why lasting change doesn’t come from pushing harder in January. It comes from creating the conditions that allow the body to feel safe enough to respond.

What are some simple, realistic habits people can focus on right now to avoid the cycle of indulgence → guilt → extreme resolutions?

The key is to focus on habits that reduce pressure, not add to it. Small, consistent actions done daily are far more effective than extreme resolutions.

One of the simplest things people can do is eat regularly. Skipping meals or “saving calories” sets the body up for cravings and overeating later. Regular meals stabilize blood sugar, support energy, and reduce the urgency around food.

Prioritizing sleep is another big one. You don’t need perfect sleep, but creating a consistent bedtime routine, limiting late nights where possible, and protecting even small improvements in sleep can make a noticeable difference in cravings and mood.

Hydration often gets overlooked, especially during busy or social periods. Drinking enough water supports digestion, energy, and appetite regulation, and it’s one of the easiest ways to help the body feel better quickly.

Managing stress doesn’t mean eliminating it. It means acknowledging it and building in moments to slow down. That could be a short walk, a few deep breaths, or simply eating without distractions. These moments help calm the nervous system and reduce emotional eating.

Finally, let go of the idea that you need to “make up for” indulgences. Food doesn’t require punishment. Getting back to your next meal, your next glass of water, or your next good night’s sleep is always enough.

When people focus on consistency instead of perfection, they avoid the cycle of indulgence, guilt, and extreme resolutions. They start January feeling grounded, not behind. And that’s where sustainable change actually begins.

As we enter the new year, what’s the healthiest way to reset without falling into restrictive January challenges or fad diets?

The healthiest way to reset in January is to focus on rebuilding routine, not imposing restriction.

A true reset isn’t about cutting things out or signing up for extreme challenges. It’s about re-establishing the basics that help your body feel supported again. Regular meals. Adequate hydration. Better sleep. Consistent movement. Predictable rhythms to your day.

When people jump into restrictive January plans, they often recreate the same cycle that led them to feel burned out in the first place. The body experiences restriction as stress, which increases cravings, disrupts hormones, and makes weight loss harder to sustain. Mentally, it reinforces the idea that change requires punishment, which rarely lasts.

A healthier reset starts with asking different questions. Not “How can I eat less?” but “How can I support my body better?” That shift changes everything. When the body feels safe and nourished, it becomes more responsive. Energy improves. Hunger settles. The scale often follows without force.

January is best used as a time to reconnect with yourself and rebuild trust. Choose habits you can carry into February and beyond. Focus on consistency over intensity. And remember that lasting change doesn’t come from dramatic resets, it comes from creating a way of living you don’t need to escape from.

That’s what makes a reset sustainable.

The Livy Method focuses on behaviour and mindset rather than dieting. How can people apply a behaviour-first approach to create sustainable habits in the new year?

Most people already know what to eat. The challenge isn’t information, it’s behaviour. That’s why The Livy Method focuses on building habits that fit real life rather than following rules that require constant willpower.

A behaviour-first approach asks people to start with small, repeatable actions. Things like eating regularly, drinking enough water, prioritizing sleep, and managing stress. These behaviours create stability in the body and the nervous system, which makes everything else easier to sustain.

It also means working on mindset alongside behaviour. Letting go of perfection. Releasing the idea that you have to be “on” or “off” a plan. Learning how to respond to life’s disruptions without guilt or starting over. When people stop treating every misstep as failure, they build confidence and trust in themselves.

Another key piece is awareness. Paying attention to patterns without judgment. Noticing what supports you and what doesn’t. This allows you to make adjustments based on feedback instead of emotion.

When behaviour comes first, habits stop feeling like a constant battle. They become part of how you live. That’s when change becomes sustainable, not because you’re forcing it, but because it finally fits.

This is why a behaviour-first approach works in January and beyond. It helps people build habits they can maintain, even when life gets busy, stressful, or imperfect.

You can learn more about The Livy Method here.

 

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Published by HOLR Magazine