Well, I know I'm checking in late to discuss the ASW, but leaving town for 5 days made my life incredibly busy--2 people at work had their babies, including my boss, which makes me in charge at work, and that means everyone has to fight with one another and behave like babies at work! I had a wonderful time at the ASW--it was fantastic to meet F1Jim and his wonderful wife, and Vanilla Orchid and her DH and SIL, and BarbG, LyndaK, and many others. It was a privilege to meet, have lunch with, and have my pic taken with Lani Muelrath, and to hear the speakers, and to talk with Mary and Dr. McDougall--what a thrill!
This was the first McD event I have ever attended, and to come from Alaska and have this experience was mind-blowing! It was especially exciting to meet Becky and Bruce from Anchorage, Alaska, whom I had never met, and who told me about the Vegetarian Society of Alaska, which meets right here in Palmer! DH and I are attending a potluck this Saturday, and I am very excited to meet people right here who are of like mind!
It was also exciting for me, because Dr. M asked me to be interviewed on camera so my Star McDougaller story can be here on the board...I am waiting with trepidation to see if I came off as even marginally coherent! He also showed me proofs of The Starch Solution, so I could see my story in it!
I thought the debate was interesting and hysterically funny, and it really showed how incredibly close Dr. F and Dr. M are in their approaches. The difference is like a gnat's hair, and the message I got was to take what is meaningful to you from each approach and make it work for you. (I will always be a starch baby!) As to Dr. F's behavior, my analysis is that he is, by nature, a smart-aleck (to use the technical term), quick with a joke, and full of energy even when he's tired. So I looked at everything he said in that light, and took his barbs, and his muscle-and-belly demonstration, with a grain of salt, (as in, you had to be there). It seemed like he had just gotten off a plane from the East Coast, which probably tired him out, like our flights from Alaska did to us the day before, and he went from the airport to the hotel, changed his shirt, and ran up on stage to begin his presentation. He talked a mile-a-minute in that first lecture, and by the next day's lecture, when he'd had a night's rest, he was much more relaxed, and spoke much more calmly!
All the speakers were so great, so full of information, empathy, and humor. I loved every minute of it, but the best part BY FAR for me was that my dear husband, who sort of gave this trip to me for Valentine's Day, was totally sold. He was incredibly impressed with Dr. M's integrity and honesty, and told him so. He loved hearing John Mackey's vision for the future of eating well. He saw a lot of value in what Dr. F had to say about nutrient density. He was very impressed and informed by the other doctors' presentations. And he is now committed! (I think Dr. M's challenge of eating 12 slices of bread a day really got to him, and he is pursuing that right now! And it seems to be working for him!)
The food on the weekend was fabulous! It's funny, since my daily meals are what DH always calls "glop," but I didn't have a single soup the whole weekend! The tables were filled with such good food, I figured I'd eat stuff that's unlike what I make for myself all the time. I gained 2 pounds (tho I've lost them now, by this morning), but DH, who ate twice as much as I did, lost about 10! 'Course, he still has XX pounds to lose, and I'm at my weight range, so it's not that surprising.
I couldn't have hoped for a better experience, and with the added bonus of having my wonderful husband finally commit fully to this way of eating, I am in heaven!