acknowledgments

Getting a book deal is all fun and games… until you realize that you then have to actually write a book… which has to be the most perfect 65,000 words you’ve ever written. Yeah, there’s that. So it’s important that I thank everyone who has helped me on this massive journey.

This book is dedicated to my family: Ryan, Jordan, and Isabel, who have supported me with a minimum (most of the time) of whining while I not only built Abby Langer Nutrition as a business, but also as I wrote this book all day long, and on vacations, weekends, and holidays. Writing a book takes forever, but my family has always given me unconditional love in spite of it all. And to Sammy, my furry, four-legged son, thanks for keeping me company while I was writing and for keeping me warm with your snuggles. I love you guys.

There are a lot of other people who have been with me on this crazy journey. My mom, who is my best friend, my rock, and who always keeps me grounded and sane, even when shit goes sideways. She always counsels me to stop, breathe, and take another look at things. We all need someone like that in our lives, and I’m so lucky to have her.

My dad, who’s in heaven, from whom I inherited a brain for science and a drive to disrupt. He was a maverick surgeon who taught me not to let what other people think of me stand in the way of doing what I believe is right. Your light still shines so bright, Dad. Oh, and thank you for the dimes. I love you and miss you, too.

My mother-in-law, Deb Swain, who’s always ready to come over with some meat loaf and mashed potatoes, or to help with the kids and the dog while I work. And she always wipes my kitchen counters so they sparkle before she leaves our house, so I don’t have to. You’re the mother-in-law from central casting. Thank you.

My brother, Eli, and his wife, Jen, who are always there to support me. I love you both.

Desiree Neilson, RD, my friend and author of Eat More Plants, who listened patiently to my book idea in a dark restaurant all those months ago, encouraged me to write it, and generously introduced me to her superstar agent, Carly Watters at P.S. Literary. Thank you Desiree, because you believed in me, and without you, this book might not exist.

Carly Watters, my agent, what can I say. I know that helping me write my book proposal was like trying to get blood from a stone, but somehow you managed without giving up on me. Trust me, there were a few points in that process when I thought that’s where the conversation was going to go. You’ve always had my back, you ferocious mama bear, and I am so grateful to have you on my side. Thank you.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada, who took a chance on me as a first-time author, even though I walked into our first meeting reeking of the skunk that had sprayed my dog less than an hour before. Best icebreaker ever! And Sarah St. Pierre, my editor, you’re a rock star for wading through my clunky AF first draft like an absolute champ, rearranging and editing and cutting and fluffing. You deserve a medal, or at least a really long vacation, for all of that heavy lifting. Thank you for your tireless work in making this book something I am so very proud of.

My badass dietitian posse, including Cara Rosenbloom, Nicole Osinga, Laura Baum, Christy Wilson, Abbey Sharp, Amanda Hamel, and everyone else who listened to me bitch about trolls, work, and everything else, and who also answered my sometimes very annoying and technical questions while I wrote this book. I’m so thankful for colleagues like you, who are generous, kind, and always ready to listen.

To my other friends, my Dal buddies, the girls in my neighborhood, my bestie Kathryn Weiser, my California ladies, I love you all. Thank you so much for your friendship and support.

To my followers who have been dedicated and supportive and such cheerleaders this entire way. Thank you so much for reading my stuff, for your wonderful comments, and for knowing the value of a good rant with an f-bomb or two.

And lastly, to my haters, you know who you are. I know you might not want to believe this, but as my dad would say, you’ve done me a big favor. Your mean and nasty comments kept me grounded, and gave me even more motivation to write this book and get my message out into the world.

And here we are.