Should you diet before Christmas?
Is it really damage to enjoy yourself?
Why is the "evidence-based" community selective with who they call out?
The last episode of 2025 is a banger...
Thank you for listening this last year, and we hope you have a great Christmas and New Year - please share & tag us on your stories if you enjoyed!
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In this week’s episode, Chloe and Michelle get a bit existential about how quickly time goes ! One minute you’re 22 and clueless, the next you’re edging closer to 40 and realising age is an absolute privilege.
We also dove into:
✨ Learning to interpret data: especially thematic analysis, and how messy it can get when you’re in the industry you’re researching. Being a clinician/coach-researcher means you bring insight… but also bias. And that’s OK as long as you acknowledge it.
✨ Why certain “studies” do more harm than good like research on weighing yourself around Christmas. The nuance gets lost, women get harmed, and then coaches cherry-pick the headline and parade it as “evidence.”
✨ How to spot red flags in the fitness industry especially when people weaponise research they haven’t actually read.
It’s honest, slightly chaotic, and very on-brand for two women realising that growing older and growing wiser go hand in hand.
In this episode, Michelle and I get into why research matters, how to get into it, and why good evidence gives us a full academic boner.
We also unpack one of our favourite moments: the man on Instagram who confidently told Michelle she “hadn’t read the study”… the study she literally wrote.
And a reminder for the people at the back: having a PhD doesn’t mean you know everything. A PhD is hyper-focused research in one area — not a universal licence to speak on every topic (especially not to the author of the study you're criticising).
Plus, we open up opportunities for coaches to speak at our March 2026 event. If you love evidence, nuance and a bit of academic chaos, this one’s for you.
We're back, still complaining about PhDs and menopause... nothing new!
Thank you for listening - please share & tag us on your stories if you enjoyed!
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Body image and behaviour change are two of the essential pillars to incorporate into your coaching service - and yet so many people don't do it. Michelle sat down with Sarah Tierney (CEO of Hard House Nutrition) to chat about:
- Why behaviour change matters and what coaches get wrong
- Will you really let yourself go if you work on your body image?
- What to do if you're worried about overeating this holiday szn
- Why body neutrality should be binned off
Sarah's IG: @sarahmichelletierney
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WORK WITH MICHELLE
Coaching: www.michellecarroll.co.uk/coaching
Gavin is an online coach, who has transformed from focusing on fat loss to focusing on strength.. and his clients are thriving. Known for his hilarious and relatable takes on the fitness industry (a compliment Michelle doesn't throw around lightly), we get into a discussion that could have gone on for hours tbh...
We chat about:
- Our mistakes as baby coaches
- What the industry gets wrong about coaching
- What changed for Gavin to help him get life-changing results for clients (beyond fat loss)
Make sure you're following him on IG: @gavinmckinneypt
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WORK WITH ME:
Coaching: https://www.michellecarroll.co.uk/coaching
DEI Course: https://www.michellecarroll.co.uk/dei-course
Chloe's started her PhD and Michelle is living The Simple Life in the Scottish countryside. We chat all things menopause, fitness trackers and neurodivergence & food relationships.
Thank you for listening - please share & tag us on your stories if you enjoyed!
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This week on Healthcare Unprofessionals, Chloe is joined by Dr Emily Pfender, a health communication scientist and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania — and a spin and Pilates instructor on the side.
Emily’s research dives into how social media shapes health behaviours, particularly in women’s and maternal health — from fertility and contraception to how health misinformation spreads online.
Together we explore:
💬 What health communication science actually is (in normal-people terms!)
📱 How social media can both empower and mislead women when it comes to their health
⚖️ The ethics of health marketing and fear-based messaging
🧠 What makes a message stick and actually change behaviour
🔗 How researchers, clinicians, and influencers can work together to bridge the gap between science and social media
It’s a fascinating, nuanced chat about the power — and pitfalls — of digital health communication.
Emily's 'What Scientists and Providers Get Wrong on Social Media' Guide
Find Emily on Instagram @emilypfender
Today, join Michelle in a solo episode/rant about some of the main challenges in ethical fitness coaching... let's chat about why your body isn't your business card, why transformation photos aren't motivating and why you can't diet your way out of binge eating.
Don't forget to rate the podcast if you're enjoying it!
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WORK WITH ME:
DISORDERED EATING INFORMED: www.michellecarroll.co.uk/dei-course
COACHING: www.michellecarroll.co.uk/coaching
INSTAGRAM: @michellecarroll1
Michelle and Chloe sit down for a real and honest chat about life in healthcare right now. Michelle has returned to work as a radiographer, Chloe is working as a physiotherapist — and as students trying to balance studies with running online businesses, both are finding it tough.
They also touch on a recent large-scale study exploring partners’ experiences of endometriosis. While it’s important to understand the wider impact, both agree that the urgent priority should be funding more research into the cause and treatment of endo — rather than centring men’s experiences as partners.
A short but candid conversation about the realities of working in healthcare and the research priorities that matter.
Join Michelle for a solo episode this week as we discuss all things comparison - why we do it, how it holds us back and how to stop ourselves!
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Thank you for listening - please share & tag us on your stories if you enjoyed!
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On this week's episode, Michelle says goodbye to Threads (for the 15th time), Serena Williams sparks headlines with GLP-1s, and Chloe responds to an Insta troll’s comment about her so-called “massive cooter.”
Plus the usual life updates you didn't ask for!
Plenty to complain about this week as we grapple with a new Netflix documentary, fight with people in Threads and discuss whether or not birth control is responsible for the terrible dating choices you made in your 20s (yes, really).
Thank you for listening - please share & tag us on your stories if you enjoyed!
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Michelle and I got spicy this week — we’re talking female Viagra and Kebabs, the science of sexual desire, and how going viral is exhausting.
With our normal unprofessional chit chats! 💊🔥
In today's episode, Michelle sat down with Conor Nolan, author and public speaker about his journey navigating his mental health and anorexia recovery. We chat all about:
And lots more!
Follow Conor on Instagram: @conor_n7
Conor's website: https://normalmentalwellbeing.com/
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Michelle's Instagram: @michellecarroll1
Website: www.michellecarroll.co.uk
This week on the podcast…
Michelle and I dived into the wild world of wellness trends. From the Skims chin strap to a “hormone-hacking” coach blaming the pill for menopause symptoms, we unpacked how these narratives often dismiss science and feed the ever-growing anti-medicine wellness bubble.
Because while it makes a catchy headline, misinformation like this shapes how women see their bodies, their hormones, and their healthcare.
Join Michelle and Chloe as we chat about the latest in the fitness and wellness worlds - no homone hacking required.
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Connect with us:
@michellecarroll1 x @chloetevensphysio
This week, Michelle sat down with the fabulous @unapologeticallyshona, business coach & mentor that helps you build a thriving business, without falling into hustle culture or cold DMing people.
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Follow Shona: @unapologeticallyshona
Follow Michelle: @michellecarroll1
This week we are chatting about the latest study looking at pelvic floor dysfunction in female GAA players, why charlatans make the best nutrition coaches and what needs to change for the PT industry to be seen as credible.
Plus, find out where Chloe is currently on the Bristol Stool chart. Nothing is off limits.
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Please rate and share the episode if you can!!
@michellecarroll1 x @chloestevensphysio
Michelle and Chloe are back chatting all things internalised misogyny — from the lens by which society views GLP-1 weight loss drugs to why women are still showing up to Chris Brown concerts.
Please like, comment, or subscribe. If you have any ideas for future episodes, let us know!