My Story

I always knew I wanted to play the violin. From the time I was 3 I was rubbing sticks together in the back yard. If you asked me when I was ten what I wanted to be when I grew up I would tell you without hesitation, "A violin teacher!" What I didn't know was that I would fall in love with playing as well. I found out when I got to college that there was so much more to learn, and that if I really practiced, I could be good. When I transferred to Baylor University from community college, I was really challenged by the examples around me. In a week I went from practicing about an hour a week to about two hours a day. A weeks into the semester I felt a shooting pain go down my arm. What was that?! I kept practicing. Within a month I was wearing braces and sitting out of orchestra. Tendinitis....

Let me back up though. My family was very health conscious growing up. We at low fat salad dressings, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, grew our own garden, and didn't eat out much. Even with all of that, process foods sneak into your diet. And I didn't know I had a sensitivity to gluten, which can cause inflammation for people who are affected by it. And....I was in college, so despite this great, healthy upbringing, I started eating fast food. Actually, it started when I got a job at Starbucks when I was 18. I drank my free Frappuccinos, then went to Burger King for my lunch breat. I had a breakfast burrito from Sonic probably 2 or 3 times a week, and a burger for lunch about the same number of times. I was fueling the inflammation in my body. It was after feeding myself in this unhealthy way, and never exercising, that I got injured.

Could this just be a coincidence? Maybe....but I've been injured since then. Two other times were very serious, and both times were after a period of eating the typical American diet. Lots of dairy, meat and processed foods.

I came to Memphis to study with a teacher who could help me because she had been injured. In my first lesson, she told me to go to the gym and strengthen my core muscles. Then she started asking me every week if I was sleeping enough, drinking enough water. I started to get the connection. How I treated my body was going to determine whether I healed or not. My diet got a little better, but I was still eating ice cream from the carton every afternoon. (Hey, it was HOT in Memphis in August!).

My injury got better. I learned to eat a little better, but mostly just strengthened muscles and started sleeping more. Then, two years later, I got injured again. Right after eating lots of burgers and ice cream. I. Just. Knew. I immediately cut out coffee, most meat, all processed foods, and most dairy. I knew if I ate green veggies and fruits and whole grains I would get better. And I did....I gave a recital two months later on about an hour and a half a day of practice (in 8 minute increments). I was in a LOT of pain! At this point I was eating pretty much whatever food I wanted within a calorie range, but there was one thing I couldn't figure out. I was SO TIRED! I mean constantly exhausted...every day, all day. My best friend became a Beachbody coach in the spring of 2013 and told me about Shakeology. Since I was desperate for energy and nutrition I tried it. I felt tremendously better for the 5 months I drank it, but cancelled because of the price.

Then something else happened. I started losing weight. "This is great," I thought! I had no idea why I was losing weight, really. I had started doing a lot of cardio, and counting calories. I felt terrible if I had a 1600 calorie day. My goal was 1200 plus exercise, so most days were around 1400-1500. That's ok, but I was playing my violin about 6-8 hours a day and very busy. I needed more. At first I had lost about 10 lb. (keep in mind I was not unhealthy, just very skinny at about 128 lb. at 5'8''), but I kept losing weight. This dramatic weight loss happened mostly in the spring of 2013. By June I weighed 123 and had no fat, but also no muscle. I didn't like how I looked, but I didn't yet understand the concept of building muscle. I thought everything was good.....then something weird happened.

July of 2013, my stomach started getting bigger, I felt nauseous often, I was VERY tired and the less I ate the worse I felt. I ate cheerios, crackers and other things to calm my stomach, but I just felt sick. I also couldn't think straight and I would have dramatic mood swings (which never has happened to me before). After a few months I figured it out --- GLUTEN. Ew.....anyways, it was cutting out gluten and learning to heal through nutrition counseling with a friend who is IIN certified that I started my health journey. I started to strengthen my arms instead of babying them, and after a few months I stopped wearing my wrist braces to bed. I had been wearing them every night for 6 years! It was a bit of a journey, and I took a few detours, but I finally felt led to team up with Beachbody in October, 2014. I started with PiYo, learned how to eat a balanced healthy diet, and haven't looked back! I truly believe that fitness (as in strength and flexibility, NOT a perfect, aesthetic) and nutrition are the key to living injury free as well as solving a host of other problems from inflammation to mental clarity.

There is so much more I could share, so if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
Much love,
Jamie

p.s. If you want to talk more, feel free to email me at thefitfiddler@gmail.com