Are you constantly being told to fix your posture, but still dealing with chronic pain?

Do traditional physical therapy exercises feel ineffective or even make your hypermobile joints feel worse?

What if joint instability was only part of the story, and your nervous system was the key to finding pain relief?

If so, that's exactly what we get into in this episode where strength and nutrition coach Nikki Naab-Levy chats with Kate Bacigalupo, a physical therapist who specializes in hypermobility and scoliosis and co-founder of the Elements Collective about navigating pain with hypermobility and scoliosis.

00:04:46 | Why the Traditional PT Model Fails Hypermobile Bodies

00:08:50 | The Problem with Only Focusing on Joint Stability for Pain

00:10:01 | How to Progress Exercise with Symptomatic Hypermobility

00:13:39 | Strategies to Create a Sense of Safety in the Nervous System

00:16:17 | Understanding the Correlation Between Scoliosis and Hypermobility

00:21:50 | Understanding the Contributing Factors to Chronic Pain Beyond Alignment

00:30:11 | Common Myths around Posture and Pain with Hypermobility and Scoliosis

00:34:15 | Why Forcing "Perfect Posture" Can Actually Create More Dysfunction

00:46:01 | The Role of Strength Work in Managing Pain with Hypermobility

Topics covered:

• Why the "traditional" physical therapy model is often poorly suited for individuals with complex chronic pain and hypermobility.

• The role of proprioceptive feedback, closed-chain exercises, and strength work in creating a sense of safety and stability in hypermobile bodies.

• The difference between a hypermobile joint and an unstable joint, and why treating hypermobility as solely instability often fails patients.

• The correlation between hypermobility and scoliosis and what we currently know.

• Why pain management with scoliosis is more than trying to achieve "perfect" posture.

• How central sensitization and medical trauma contribute to the chronic pain experience and strategies to support your body if you have chronic pain.

Connect with Kate

• Name: Dr. Kate Bacigalupo, PT, DPT

• Instagram: @thehyperphysio_kate

• Website: https://www.elementscollectiveny.com/

Connect with Nikki & Resources Mentioned

• Instagram: @naablevyfitness

• Website: naablevy.com

• Take the 1 minute quiz to get your free personalized strength workouts

• Get your free macros and calories calculator + guide

Are you worried about ruining your progress during the holidays? Do you get stuck in the cycle of starting over every January? Want to enjoy holiday treats without feeling out of control?

If so, then this episode is for you.

In this episode, Nikki chats with fitness and nutrition coach Brooks Hubris about different ways to approach fitness, nutrition, and fat loss over the holidays without falling into the common traps of over restriction, over indulgence, or feeling like you have to start over in January.

They discuss:

• How to recognize the most common all or nothing holiday mindset traps of giving up until January vs. white knuckling abstinence and what to do instead.
  
  

• Strategies to enjoy Christmas cookies and holiday treats without feeling like you've been bad or are "off plan."
  
  

• Why moments of "failure" are opportunities to learn and make more supportive choices in the future.
  
  

• The importance of eating for real life versus having a dieting mentality even when you have a fat loss goal, especially during the holidays.
  
  

• The benefits of eating at maintenance during the holidays and alternatives to tracking for making goal and health supportive choices.
  
  

• The role of your environment on nutrition choices and ways to manage your surroundings so follow through feels easier.

Connect with Brooks

• Follow Brooks on Instagram @sweat.simple

• Visit Brooks's website sweatsimpleco.com

Connect with Nikki

• Grab your free personalized macros calculator & guide!

• Take the 1 minute quiz to get your free strength plan based on your results.

• Follow Nikki on Instagram @naablevyfitness

• Visit Nikki's website naablevy.com

Links mentioned

• Listen to the Biggest Loser Podcast episode

Are you confused about heart rate zones? Is walking actually cardio? Should women in perimenopause avoid high-intensity workouts? Are you trying to lift weights faster to skip dedicated cardio sessions?

In this episode, Nikki chats with nutritionist and coach Jamie Scott about how to best approach cardio based on your fitness level and goals as well as common myths and misinformation, including:

• Why the parameters for elite athletes often aren't applicable to individuals looking for general fitness and health benefits from cardio.
• Applying the FITT principles (Frequency, Intensity, Timing, and Type) and how to determine training volume based on your life's schedule.
• The concept of tissue capacity versus cardiovascular conditioning and why preparation needs to be involved when taking up running.
• When walking counts as a beneficial cardio stimulus, and when it may not be enough to drive adaptation.
• Whether doing exercises like Pilates or strength training faster is a true substitute for dedicated cardiovascular work.
• How to approach cardio in perimenopause

Connect with Jamie Scott

• Instagram: @athletica.coach
• Website: https://athletica.coach

Connect with Nikki & Links Mentioned

• Instagram: @naablevyfitness
• Website: http://naablevy.com
• Take the 1 minute quiz to get your free personalized strength workouts
• Get your free macros and calories calculator + guide

Are you considering GLP-1 medications like Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, or Zepbound for weight loss, or do you know someone who is? This conversation provides a nuanced conversation about GLP-1s and considerations around starting them.

In this episode, host Nikki Naab-Levy chats with Kate Lyman, a nutrition coach with a Master's in public health about the unspoken potential ramifications of using these drugs, from a mental health and behavior change perspective.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The difference between the clinical and social media definitions of "food noise".

• Why weight loss on a GLP-1 does not automatically equate to better body image or health.

• The potential for GLP-1s to replace "food noise" with new fixations or obsessions in (e.g., scale-watching, body composition) in some individuals.

• The mixed mental health outcomes of GLP-1s, including studies linking them to an elevated risk of anxiety, major depression, and suicidal behavior in some populations, while others (like those with binge eating disorder) may see positive benefits.

• Recommended lifestyle support and interventions that can be used alongside medication to ensure fat loss while protecting and maintaining muscle mass and bone density.

• The importance of having coping tools outside of food when a previous coping mechanism is removed.

• The cultural and identity shifts that often come with rapid body weight loss and being treated differently by the outside world.

• Why these medications are currently intended for long-term use and aren't necessarily an appropriate intervention for all individuals.

Timestamps

• 00:00 | Intro: Cultural Context, Mental Health, and Nuance about Who Should or Shouldn't Take GLP-1s.

• 00:40 | Introducing Kate Lyman: Behavioral Health Expert & Nutrition Coach

• 03:00 | The Need for Education and Behavioral Support with GLP-1s

• 05:23 | Weight Loss Doesn't Automatically Equal Health: Coping Tools Outside of Food

• 06:44 | Defining Food Noise Beyond Pop Culture and Social Media

• 09:41 | The Potential for Obsession Shifts: Food Noise Replaced by Scale Focus

• 14:56 | Mental Health & GLP-1s: What the Literature Says About Anxiety & Depression

• 24:10 | Essential Lifestyle Pillars: Protein, Strength Training, and Water Intake

• 28:06 | The Long-Term Reality of Taking a GLP-1 to Maintain Weight Loss

• 40:04 | The Role of Stigma & Weight Bias in Influencing GLP-1 Usage

Connect with Kate

• Name: Kate Lyman

• Instagram: @klnutrition

• Website: https://www.katelymannutrition.com/

• Podcast: How to Fitness Podcast

Research Studies & Papers Referenced

• What Is Food Noise? A Conceptual Model of Food Cue Reactivity [PMID: 38004203]

• Association of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists With Risk of Suicidal Ideation and Behaviour: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [PMID: 39945396]

• Use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in eating disorder populations [PMID: 38135891]

Connect with Nikki

• Instagram: @naablevyfitness

• Website: http://naablevy.com

Free Nutrition & Fitness Resources

• Take the 1 minute quiz to get your free personalized strength workouts

• Get your free macros and calories calculator + guide

Are you feeling stuck in a cycle of yo-yo dieting? Have you ever wondered if the shame-based tactics of popular weight loss shows are truly effective?

In this episode, host Nikki Naab-Levy welcomes her colleagues Colette, Brooks, Greg, and Vanessa to deconstruct the myths and misinformation around fitness, nutrition, mindset, and weight loss. In this episode of Results Not Typical, they unpack the Netflix documentary Fit for TV, which examines the reality show The Biggest Loser.

In this episode, you will learn about:

• The difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and how it relates to the long term success of the contestants on The Biggest Loser for maintaining weight loss.
• The negative, long-term effects of using shame as a motivational tool.
• The importance of developing real-life skills for sustainable health.
• Why "The Biggest Loser" failed to provide genuine long-term solutions for its contestants.

Guests Information

Vanessa Zingaro & Greg Sutton

• Instagram: @evolvetoexcel
• Website: https://evolvetoexcel.com/

Brooks Hurbis

• Instagram: @sweat.simple
• Website: https://www.sweatsimpleco.com/

Colette Morris

• Instagram: @cmorrfitness
• Website: https://www.cmorrfitness.com/

Connect with Nikki / Links mentioned

• Instagram: @naablevyfitness
• Website: http://naablevy.com
• Take the 1 minute quiz to get your free personalized strength workouts
• Get your free macros and calories calculator + guide

Timestamps

00:00 | The Problem with The Biggest Loser

00:41 | Introducing the Host and Podcast

01:48 | Guest Introductions

04:26 | The Role of Shame as a "Motivational" Tool

05:42 | Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation

10:25 | The Scale is the Main Character

14:37 | Skills vs. Doubling Down on Behaviors

17:22 | The Absurdity of Temptation Challenges

22:41 | Trainers Openly Defying Doctors

27:10 | Reinforcing Low-Calorie Crash Diets

Are you considering a hysterectomy, or struggling with your body image and fitness journey after surgery? In this episode of the Nikki Naab-Levy podcast, Results Not Typical, Nikki talks with physical therapist Dr. Jocelyn Wallace about a subject that is often underserved: pelvic health.

You will learn about:

• Signs, symptoms, and the best treatment options for endometriosis

• Why a hysterectomy affects more than just one organ.

• The emotional and psychological challenges that can come with the surgery.

• The common advice patients receive and why it isn't enough.

• The importance of self-advocating with your surgeon, especially if you have symptomatic hypermobility.

• How to reconnect with your body and find a new fitness routine after a hysterectomy.
  
  

Here are some key timestamps for this episode:

• 00:01:11 | Introduction to Dr. Jocelyn Wallace

• 00:01:46 | The problem with common post-hysterectomy recovery advice

• 00:03:07 | The impact of a hysterectomy on the entire system

• 00:04:46 | Navigating post-surgery fear and anxiety

• 00:08:44 | Empowering people through physical therapy

• 00:10:48 | The physical therapy process post-hysterectomy

• 00:17:34 | Hysterectomy as a new chapter in fitness

• 00:30:17 | The importance of patient self-advocacy, especially for individuals with symptomatic hypermobility and ehlers danlos syndrome.

Connect with Dr. Jocelyn.

• Name: Dr. Jocelyn Wallace, PT, DPT

• Instagram: @drjocelynwallace

• Website: https://drjocelynwallace.com/

Connect with Nikki / Links mentioned

• Instagram: @naablevyfitness

• Website: http://naablevy.com

• Take the 1 minute quiz to get your free personalized strength workouts

• Get your free macros and calories calculator + guide

In this episode, I'm joined by Melissa Cassera, a publicity strategist, screenwriter, and bestselling author who knows what it takes to make your work irresistible while still staying true to yourself.

What makes Melissa's perspective so valuable is that she's spent nearly two decades helping entrepreneurs, authors, and creatives cut through the noise, build real connections, and keep their marketing from feeling "icky." She also draws on her own experience as a multi-passionate business owner in screenwriting, publishing, and beyond, offering a rare inside look at what truly works.

We talk about:

• How to make marketing feel authentic and aligned instead of forced or cringey.

• The best way to respond to haters, critics, and internet trolls (without losing your sanity).

• Why you don't have to lock yourself into one tiny niche to be successful.

• How to redefine success on your own terms and celebrate your progress instead of waiting for a "big break."

Melissa's journey is proof that you can market with integrity, stand out in a crowded space, and still create a business (and life) that feels creative, fulfilling, and uniquely yours.

Connect with Melissa

• Website: https://melissacassera.com/
• Follow Melissa on Instagram: @melissa.cassera
• Melissa's Podcast: Listen to Drip, Trickle Flow, Flood

Connect with Nikki

• Take the 1 minute quiz to get a free personalized strength plan: https://freestrengthquiz.com/
• Free calculator and guide to your personalized macros for fat loss and body recomposition: https://naablevy.com/macro-guide/
• Follow Nikki on Instagram @naablevyfitness
• Visit Nikki's website: https://naablevy.com/

In this episode, I'm joined by my client Carlyn Rubin, who shares her journey navigating fitness and nutrition with symptomatic hypermobility.

What makes her story so powerful is that Carlyn came to me with a body composition and weight loss goal, but through strength training, she discovered so many unexpected benefits along the way.

We talk about:

• How EDS and spinal fusion shaped Carlyn's relationship with her body and movement.
• What surprised her most about strength training and how she built the confidence to walk into the gym and get started.
• Her experience with low-calorie diets, weight cycling, and what changed when we increased her calories and let go of rigid food rules
• What she wishes more hypermobile people knew about strength training

Carlyn's experience is a reminder that with the right approach, it's not just possible to get stronger. It's possible to feel better and more at home in your body while doing it.

Links mentioned:

Join my 6 week nutrition program Fat Loss Fundamentals.

Grab the last VIP spot in the program.

Connect with me on Instagram @naablevyfitness