Breaking the Cycle with Natassia Dsouza

Losing weight didn't fix it. That's the part nobody wants to say out loud.

Jenna lost the weight. And she was still bingeing. Still eating past the point of fullness. Still using food to cope with emotions she didn't know how to sit with. Still carrying shame nobody could see from the outside.

She came to me as a client over two years ago and in this episode, we're going public with her full story for the first time. The fear of food. The cycle of restriction and bingeing. What it actually felt like inside those moments. And how she got to a place where the urge still shows up, but no longer wins.

This is what real behavioral change looks like. Not a before and after. A before, a during, and a completely different relationship with herself.

We’re closing Season 2 with a burst of light, energy, and empowerment.

In this episode, I sit down with Mariana Guemez, Head Spin Coach at The Lab Studios Dubai — a woman who proves that confidence isn’t born, it’s built.

Once disconnected from movement and struggling with her weight and self-esteem, Mariana’s story is one of courage, discipline, and joy. Today, she’s redefining what strength looks like not just on the bike, but in life.

We talk about:

- How she found her voice and purpose through movement

- What it means to truly feel strong, physically and emotionally

- How to lead with authenticity and joy in a world obsessed with aesthetics

An episode that reminds every woman that empowerment starts from within.

✨ The perfect high-note to end Season 2 of Breaking the Cycle.

In this episode, Jackson Read opens up about his personal weight loss journey and the lessons he’s carried into both business and life. As the founder of Venturi, a new electrolyte brand entering the UAE market, Jackson shares powerful insights on the science of sodium, the importance of electrolytes, and how supplementation supports performance.

Beyond nutrition, Jackson dives into the realities of working in the finance industry,mental resilience, managing stress without turning to food, and the coping mechanisms required to thrive in high-pressure environments. We also explore toxic masculinity, its hidden impact on men’s mental health, and how breaking that cycle leads to true strength.

This conversation blends science, mindset, and business, and gives a glimpse into Jackson’s plan to redefine the UAE electrolyte market.

🎧 Find the full episode wherever you listen to podcasts.

We often believe confidence comes after we’ve “made it.” But what if the opposite is true?In this episode, I sit down with Kelly Lundberg, personal brand strategist, to unpack the myth of waiting until you’re perfect to show up for yourself. Kelly shares her own fitness and confidence journey, plus the strategies she uses to help women step into visibility even when they feel uncertain, insecure, or “not enough.”This conversation will help you:• Rethink confidence as a product of action, not perfection• Find your voice and brand before you feel ready• Take consistent action when insecurity feels heavy• Learn how to show up authentically in health, fitness, and lifeIf you’ve ever told yourself, “I’ll start when I feel ready” this episode is your wake-up call.

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Lauren O’Connell, beauty editor of Cosmopolitan Middle East, a science‑minded storyteller, and a woman who turned her cancer diagnosis into a catalyst for creation.

Lauren received a breast cancer diagnosis on December 15, 2023 (stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma), and made the brave decision to keep her journey off social media until she was ready, giving herself permission to heal inwardly and rebuild. With a foundation in engineering, nursing, and journalism, Lauren has always blended intellect and creativity.

In this conversation, she opens up about:

- The emotional and physical transformations from treatment, including weight gain, managing side effects, and the spiritual rituals that grounded her.

- How she channeled pain into purpose building her upcoming beauty brand rooted in innovation, authenticity, and healing.

- The role of science, spirituality, and self-care in redefining beauty on her own terms.

If you’ve ever faced adversity, felt unseen, or wondered how to rebuild meaningfully, this episode is for you. Lauren’s vulnerability and vision will leave you strengthened, inspired, and ready to embrace your own journey of reinvention.

In this episode of Breaking the Cycle, I sit down with the incredible Dr. Phyllis: a physician, functional medicine expert, and someone who has walked the very path she now helps others navigate. We explore the powerful connection between genetics and weight loss, the role of hormonal imbalances, and how vitamin deficiencies can drive you to food without even realizing it.

Dr. Phyllis also opens up about her own personal weight loss journey: navigating the shame of obesity as a doctor, and how she reclaimed her health from the inside out.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything “right” but your body isn’t responding, this episode is for you. It’s time to stop blaming willpower and start looking deeper.

In this episode of Breaking the Cycle, I’m joined by Graeme Tomlinson, aka The Fitness Chef, for a refreshingly real conversation about food, nutrition, and the harm caused by diet culture.

We explore how Graeme went from trying to follow all the “rules” to helping millions rethink how they view food. No fluff, no fear-mongering, just clear, honest insights about why the way we talk about food matters.

If you’ve ever labelled a meal as “bad,” felt guilty for eating something you love, or struggled to find balance between your goals and your mental peace… this episode is for you.

🎧 Press play to unlearn, reframe, and finally let food be food.

This episode of Breaking the Cycle Takes Singapore features my client and one of Singapore’s most loved food and travel creators — Aiken Chia.

Together, we explore the layered relationship he’s had with food: from using it to soothe childhood wounds to realizing that even in an industry where bigger bodies are more accepted, emotional struggle doesn’t simply disappear.

Aiken shares what it was like to grow up with food as his safest outlet, how that attachment shaped his adulthood, and what it really means to regulate your nervous system without turning to eating. We talk about the emotional cost of constantly performing wellness on the outside while feeling dysregulated on the inside.

This isn’t a weight loss story. It’s a healing story. It’s about detaching from food not to restrict, but to reconnect.

If food has been your anchor, your escape, or your identity, this is one you don’t want to miss.

In this candid and powerful episode, Tarek Sabbouh joins me to share his journey with weight loss injections: Ozempic, Mounjaro and the emotional rollercoaster that often comes with them.

He dives deep into his personal relationship with food, what it’s really been like to stop and start injections, and the parts of this journey no one warns you about.

We talk about identity, emotional eating, self-awareness, and what the future looks like beyond the meds.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why am I still struggling with food even while on injections?”—this one’s for you.

In this episode, Rory Thomas Brown, an eating disorder specialist, opens up about his own journey through disordered eating, the desire for control around food, and the emotional struggles that fueled his eating patterns. After working through his own healing, Rory now helps others do the same guiding them toward a healthier, more balanced relationship with food.

This episode explores:

✅ The psychology behind eating disorders and food control

✅ Rory’s personal experience and key turning points in his recovery

✅ The strategies he now teaches clients to help them heal their relationship with food

✅ Practical ways to move away from food obsession and into food freedom

This conversation is raw, insightful, and deeply valuable for anyone navigating disordered eating or body image struggles.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube. Let’s break the cycle together.