Shownotes
Let's face it: You've done the diets. All of them. And you've gained weight with every single one because the entire weight loss industry is built on a lie from the 1930s—a theory that was never tested, never proven, and has kept women trapped in starvation cycles for decades.
Dr. Roya Shamsay gets it. She gained 45 pounds after giving birth, spent 10+ years on diet after diet, and ended up 120 pounds overweight with pre-diabetes symptoms. Standing in her kitchen at 247 pounds, terrified her daughter would grow up without a mother, she asked God for help. The answer? "I will never go on a diet again. I will never weigh myself again."
Here's the thing: Your body isn't broken. The diet industry is. This episode exposes why calorie deficit diets trigger fat storage mode, how food manufacturers use ingredients more addictive than cocaine to keep you coming back, and why perimenopause is hitting women earlier than it should (hello, xenoestrogens). Dr. Shamsay breaks down the three real reasons you gain weight—and none of them are about willpower.
You're not broken. Your body is following its own rules. This is your reckoning. Yet.
IS THIS EPISODE FOR YOU?
Listen if you're: ✓ Over 40 and watching your body hold onto weight no matter what you try ✓ Done with calorie counting, meal plans, and diet programs that work temporarily then fail spectacularly ✓ Hitting perimenopause or menopause and gaining weight in places you never did before ✓ Sick of being told "eat less, move more" when you're already doing everything "right" ✓ Curious about body chemistry, brain chemistry, and blood chemistry balance (not just calories in/calories out) ✓ Ready to understand why your body stores fat around toxins and what to do about it ✓ Interested in how food manufacturers engineer addiction into processed foods ✓ Wanting to know why perimenopause is hitting women in their 30s now instead of their 50s
This is for you if you're done blaming yourself and ready to learn your body's actual rules.
WHAT GETS EXPOSED
The 1930s theory that destroyed women's metabolisms: Calorie deficit dieting was never tested—it was a theory written in a book that became the foundation of the entire weight loss industry, and it's kept women in starvation mode for nearly a century
Why diets trigger fat storage mode instead of fat burning: When you go on a calorie deficit diet, your metabolism slows down, your body holds onto emergency fuel (fat), and starts consuming your muscles—the #1 tissue that actually burns fat
The food addiction playbook manufacturers don't want you to know: Sugar is 9 times more addictive than cocaine, and the FDA approved massive numbers of addictive ingredients in the mid-1970s specifically so food manufacturers could keep you coming back
Xenoestrogens and why perimenopause is happening in your 30s: Environmental toxic estrogens attach to your estrogen receptors, your body stops producing its own estrogen, and you hit perimenopause 15-20 years earlier than you should
The three real reasons you gain weight (and none of them are about willpower): Toxic additives in processed foods that your body stores in fat tissue, blood sugar spikes from high glycemic foods that trigger insulin (a fat storage hormone), and nutritional deficiency that keeps you hungry because your body is starving for actual nourishment
BURKE BOMBS
💣 "When you go on a diet, you are disrespecting your body and not following your body's rules. The body's rule is: please don't torture me. And that's why the average diet lasts seven days today."
💣 "Your body is in one of two modes when there's weight issues: You're either in fat storage mode where you gain weight, or you're in fat burning mode when you lose weight. That's it. And calorie deficit diets put you in fat storage mode."
💣 "Food manufacturers love you because you're addicted to their foods. Sugar has been shown to be nine times more addictive than cocaine. And the FDA approved massive numbers of these ingredients in the middle 1970s so manufacturers could use them."
QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE
Why don't calorie deficit diets work for women over 40? Calorie deficit diets trigger your body's starvation mode—metabolism slows down, your body holds onto fat (its emergency fuel), and starts consuming muscle tissue instead. Muscle is the #1 tissue that burns fat, so when you lose muscle, you lose your fat-burning capacity. This is why you gain all the weight back plus more. Your body isn't broken—it's protecting you from what it perceives as starvation. The diet is the problem, not you. Jump to: [05:51] for why diets fail and trigger fat storage
What causes perimenopause and menopause weight gain in women over 40? Perimenopause shouldn't happen until around age 50, menopause until 55-60. But women are hitting it in their 30s and 40s now because of xenoestrogens—environmental toxic estrogens in processed foods, plastics, and chemicals. These toxins attach to your estrogen receptors, your body thinks it already has estrogen, so it stops producing its own. To detox xenoestrogens: eat cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower) daily, which naturally detoxify your liver. Balance hormones with complex carbs, high-quality proteins, and healthy fats (cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil). Jump to: [11:40] for the xenoestrogen breakdown and perimenopause
What are the three real reasons women gain weight?
- Toxic additives in processed foods: Your body can't eliminate fat-soluble toxins, so it builds fat tissue around them to protect your vital organs. 2) Blood sugar spikes: High glycemic foods (sugar, processed carbs) spike insulin—a fat storage hormone. 3) Nutritional deficiency: 90% of the US population is deficient in vital nutrients. You're "overfed and undernourished"—eating tons of calories but your body is starving for actual nourishment, so you stay hungry. When you detox, balance blood sugar, and get proper nutrition, your body releases the fat. Jump to: [20:56] for the three reasons breakdown
How do I actually lose weight after 40 without dieting? Stop calorie deficit dieting. Instead: 1) Detoxify your body (get toxins out of fat tissue through foods like cruciferous vegetables). 2) Balance your body chemistry (get into fat burning mode by giving your body the nutrients it needs). 3) Balance blood chemistry (avoid high glycemic foods that spike insulin). 4) Get nutritional balance (eat real food your body can actually use for nourishment, not just calories). When your body feels safe and nourished, it releases fat naturally and willingly. Jump to: [14:33] for Dr. Shamsay's approach to weight loss
CONVERSATION BREAKDOWN WITH TIMESTAMPS
[00:00] - Dr. Roya Shamsay's story: 45 pounds after giving birth, 10+ years of diets, 120 pounds overweight
[03:40] - The scale moment: 247 pounds, pre-diabetes symptoms, "My daughter's gonna be without a mother"
[04:20] - Standing in her kitchen asking God for help—and the three things that came out
[04:44] - "I will never go on a diet again. I will never weigh myself again." And the third thing that started the journey
[05:15] - Why those two commitments mattered: Diets had only made her gain weight for 10+ years, and the scale made her feel like a failure every time
[05:51] - The ugliest truth about the weight loss industry: It's built on a 1930s theory that was never tested
[06:23] - Why calorie deficit diets don't work: Your metabolism slows down, body holds onto fat, consumes your muscles
[07:20] - "When you go on a diet, you are disrespecting your body and not following your body's rules"
[08:13] - Michelle on everything in moderation vs. deprivation cycles
[08:31] - Dr. Shamsay on guilt, shame, stress hormone cortisol—and how that makes you even hungrier
[08:54] - The Kristie Alley example: Addicted brain, switched from cocaine to food, gained 85 pounds back on Jenny Craig
[09:45] - If she'd understood brain chemistry balance, she wouldn't have gained it back
[10:24] - Two modes: Fat storage mode (gain weight, plateau, or gain it all back) or fat burning mode (lose weight and keep it off)
[11:40] - Perimenopause and menopause: Why it's happening to women in their 30s now
[12:18] - Xenoestrogens: Environmental toxic estrogens that trick your body into stopping estrogen production
[12:56] - "Perimenopause shouldn't happen until you're around 50. Menopause shouldn't happen until 55-60."
[13:24] - How to detoxify xenoestrogens: Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower) every day
[14:18] - Cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil: The two fats that help hormonal balance (and make your skin softer)
[15:15] - What middle-aged women feel stuck on: The excuse "I should be able to do this" and the toxic helper pattern
[16:30] - Meeting patient Judy: "What did you do?" Leading to the $25,000 question
[17:19] - "On a scale of 1 to 10, where are you?" Judy: "I'm a 15."
[17:59] - The uncomfortable truth about women's role in the US health crisis
[18:28] - Why we gain weight: The three main reasons (90% of weight gain comes from these)
[19:07] - Reason #1: Toxic additives in processed foods—body builds fat tissue around toxins to protect vital organs
[20:15] - Michelle on bubble wrap analogy: Your body protects your brain, heart, liver, pancreas
[20:50] - First step: Detox. Get toxins out of fat tissue, body releases the fat
[21:06] - Reason #2: Blood sugar spikes from high glycemic foods—insulin is a fat storage hormone
[21:45] - Reason #3: Nutritional deficiency—90% of US population deficient in vital nutrients
[22:06] - "Overfed and undernourished": Eating tons of calories but body is starving for nourishment
[23:18] - Looking at ingredient lists: "If you cannot pronounce it, do not buy the product"
[23:43] - MSG and natural flavors: The addictive ingredients food manufacturers sneak in
[24:28] - The FDA approved massive numbers of ingredients in the mid-1970s for food manufacturers
[25:01] - The ingredient used in children's vitamins to make them addictive
[25:47] - "Anyone in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s can thrive. There is nothing in your way to get your body healthy."
[26:12] - Dr. Shamsay's chronic pain: Knees hurt so bad, imagining herself with a walker in her early 40s
[27:12] - The Disneyland story with her daughter: "I can't walk more than 20 minutes"
[27:47] - "No mom, I want to go with you." The heartbreak of not being able to show up
[28:19] - The Santa Monica mountain hike: "You said it would be two hours. We're an hour and a half in and not even close to the top"
[28:32] - Her daughter stops her: "Do you remember when I asked you to do things with me and you said no? You've lost the weight, you feel wonderful—I will not let you do this."
[29:24] - "Some of the greatest lessons we can learn is from our children"
[29:55] - Why having a big enough reason matters: "That was my why. Her not having a mother was such a huge thing."
[30:36] - "Never give up. Some of my biggest challenges have caused me to have some of my biggest breakthroughs."
ABOUT MICHELLE BURKE
Michelle Burke is the bestselling author of Hot Mess Magic, keynote speaker, and host of Hot Mess Magic podcast.
She doesn't do curated advice or toxic positivity. She tells the truth that gut-punches you awake.
Hot Mess Magic was born from the fire—the breakdowns, the unraveling, the full-blown identity crises. The kind that crack you open and refuse to let you go back to who you were.
This isn't self-help. It's self-trust.
Connect with Michelle:
📧 Newsletter: https://michelleaburke.substack.com/
📱 Instagram: @michelleaburke
🌐 Instagram: @hotmessmagicmedia
📖 Book: Hot Mess Magic
Work with Michelle:
💬 Expansion Sessions (one-on-one guidance for trusting yourself again. Only 20 spots available till Jan. 31, 2026)
🎤 Speaking
ABOUT THE GUEST
Dr. Roya Shamsay is a body chemistry expert who lost 120 pounds—and kept it off for 14 years—after discovering why diets fail women over 40.
Her authority doesn't come from textbook theory. It comes from standing in her kitchen at 247 pounds with pre-diabetes symptoms, terrified her daughter would grow up without a mother. From spending 10+ years on diet after diet, only to gain more weight with each one. From hitting rock bottom and asking God for help—then spending months researching and experimenting to figure out what would actually work.
Dr. Shamsay went from size 3XL to size 4 in 22 months by following her body's rules instead of the diet industry's lies. She discovered the three real reasons women gain weight (toxic additives, blood sugar spikes, nutritional deficiency), learned how to get her body into fat burning mode, and has never gained the weight back.
She now helps women understand body chemistry, brain chemistry, and blood chemistry balance—not calorie counting or willpower. Her mission: help one million women break free from the diet cycle that's kept them trapped.
Dr. Shamsay's not theorizing about weight loss. She lived it—and has the receipts.
Connect with Dr. Roya Shamsay:
📱 Instagram: @drroyashamsay
KEY REALIZATIONS FROM THIS EPISODE
On the diet industry lie: "Calorie deficit dieting was a theory from the 1930s. She never tested it. It was a book written that said when you lower your calories, you get to lose weight. That's the basis of the diet industry today. This is the most horrible thing about dieting." - Dr. Shamsay
On what diets actually do: "When you go on a diet, your metabolism slows down because your body goes into starvation mode, and the body holds onto its emergency fuel called fat. So your metabolism slows down, your body holds on to as much fat as possible, and it starts consuming your muscles. And muscle is the #1 tissue in your body that actually burns fat." - Dr. Shamsay
On xenoestrogens and early perimenopause: "Perimenopause shouldn't happen until you're around 50. Menopause shouldn't happen until 55-60. But people are going through it earlier and earlier because of xenoestrogens—environmental toxic estrogens that attach to your estrogen receptors. The body thinks the receptors already have estrogen, so it stops producing estrogen." - Dr. Shamsay
On food industry addiction: "Sugar has been shown to be nine times more addictive than cocaine. Food manufacturers love you because you're addicted to their foods. The FDA approved massive numbers of these ingredients in the middle 1970s for food manufacturers to use them." - Dr. Shamsay
On the real reasons for weight gain: "There's three main reasons we gain weight: toxic additives in processed foods that your body stores in fat tissue, blood sugar spikes that trigger insulin (a fat storage hormone), and nutritional deficiency—90% of the US population is overfed and undernourished." - Dr. Shamsay
THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH NOBODY'S SAYINGThe entire weight loss industry is built on a lie.
A 1930s theory. Never tested. Never proven. Just a doctor's idea that "lower calories = lose weight" that became gospel—and has kept women in starvation cycles for nearly a century. Every diet you've tried? Based on that lie. Every time you gained the weight back? Your body following its actual rules, not the industry's bullshit.
Your body stores fat around toxins to protect your vital organs.
The processed food additives, the chemicals, the environmental toxins—they're fat-soluble. Your body can't eliminate them. So it builds fat tissue around them to keep your brain, heart, liver, and pancreas safe. You're not lazy. You're not weak. Your body is doing exactly what it's designed to do: survive.
Sugar is nine times more addictive than cocaine—and it's in everything.
Food manufacturers know this. The FDA approved massive numbers of addictive ingredients in the 1970s specifically so companies could keep you coming back. MSG. "Natural flavors" (which only need one natural component to use that label). Ingredients in children's vitamins designed to make them addictive. This isn't about your willpower. It's chemical warfare.
Perimenopause in your 30s isn't normal. It's xenoestrogens.
Environmental toxic estrogens—in plastics, processed foods, chemicals—attach to your estrogen receptors. Your body thinks it already has estrogen, so it stops making its own. That's why you're hitting perimenopause 15-20 years earlier than your grandmother did. You can detox them: cruciferous vegetables daily, cold-pressed olive oil and coconut oil, and stop eating processed garbage.
You're not hungry because you need more food. You're hungry because your body is starving for nutrients.
Ninety percent of Americans are overfed and undernourished—tons of calories, zero actual nourishment. Your body keeps you hungry hoping the next meal will finally give it vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it can actually use. Feed your body real food, and the hunger stops.
You're not broken. Your body is following its own rules. The diet industry just never told you what those rules were. This is your reckoning. Yet.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Cruciferous Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kale) - Natural xenoestrogen detoxifiers that support liver health
Cold-Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Healthy monounsaturated fat for hormonal balance (can also be used on skin)
Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil - Healthy fat that supports hormone production and metabolism
Body Chemistry Balance - Dr. Shamsay's approach: nutritional balance, brain chemistry balance, blood chemistry balance
Food Ingredient Awareness - If you can't pronounce it or have to Google it (and it's not a botanical Latin name), don't buy the product
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Your mess is your medicine. Your breakdown...
