Because our weight is primarily dependent on what and how much we eat, how frequently we eat, and how much exercise we get, it’s essential to recognize that for most of us, our weight is a choice. Even if it’s harder for you than most people to lose weight, it doesn’t change the fact that it is a choice.

I also want to acknowledge that for some people it doesn’t matter what they eat or how frequently they exercise, they just aren’t able to lose weight. Reasons could range from genes to endocrine disorders and from medications to psychiatric illness. We should all be sensitive to the fact that losing weight is not a simple choice for everyone. I know this for a fact because I have a couple close friends who fall into this category.

Based on my 20 years in the health and wellness field, I have compiled what I have learned from working with thousands of people who have testified to the benefits of getting their weight under control.  Although there are many more reasons your weight matters, I have listed the ten reasons most commonly reported and widely accepted.

Ten Reasons Your Weight Matters

1. Your health will improve.

There are literally 101 health benefits of maintaining an optimal weight. This list includes simple things like reduced stress on bones and joints to more serious problems like sleep apnea, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Here are some of the most severe and prevalent life-threatening illnesses correlated with obesity:

• 80% of type II diabetes is related to obesity
• 70% of cardiovascular disease is related to obesity
• 42% of breast and colon cancer is related to obesity
• 30% of gall bladder surgery is related to obesity

2. Your life expectancy will increase
We were not designed to carry excess weight. Our bodies do not function at optimal levels when we have added surplus pounds. An Oxford University study analyzed nearly one million people from around the world and found that obesity can trim as much as ten years off your life. This ten-year loss is equal to the effects of lifelong smoking.

3. You will be a better example to your children.

According to the center for disease control (CDC), obesity has increased 74% in the last 15 years. Today 27% of all children are obese. For children, obesity suppresses growth hormone, which is responsible for bone growth, organ growth, and muscle growth. This has huge implications on the health of our world’s children. If you make it a priority to get your weight under control by changing your family’s diet and exercising, you will be setting an example for your children to follow.

4. You will have more energy.

Whether you attribute it to an increased metabolic rate that comes from exercise, improved sleep, or the absence of sluggishness, people who effectively control their weight report more energy.

5. You will experience greater self-esteem.

With rare exception, the No.1 thing I sense from people who have lost weight is an increase in their self-esteem. They smile more. They are happier. They are proud of themselves. Looking good physically equals feeling good mentally and emotionally. When we employ the discipline required to get our weight under control, we feel great about ourselves—and rightly so!

6. You will be more confident.

Confidence may start on the inside, but it definitely shows on the outside. Because weight control is difficult, people who experience success in this area show it in the way they walk and talk, as well as in the way they look and interact with people.

7. You will have more personal initiative.

Success breeds success. Accomplishing something big—like getting your weight under control—naturally builds your confidence. When you combine improved self-esteem, self-confidence, and increased energy you will feel like you can tackle anything.

8. You will enjoy an enhanced quality of life.

By most people’s standards, an active lifestyle is more enjoyable than a sedentary lifestyle. Excessive weight often limits us from getting out in the world and doing the things we enjoy. Some of the most exciting weight loss stories I hear people share are the things they are now able to do that they couldn’t do before.

9. You will be held in higher regard.

The negative characteristics commonly associated with being overweight—whether perceived or real—are no longer an obstacle when your weight is under control.
One study done by Yale University quantified the stigma that people attach to overweight and obese individuals. Their research revealed negative stigmatization of obese individuals on the part of managers, teachers, doctors, and nurses as well as friends and family, and even dietary professionals.

10. Your value to the market will increase.

Regardless of whether or not we agree with it, weight discrimination is a reality. Whether two candidates are vying for a new job or promotion or two sales people are competing for the sale, with all other factors equal, the person whose weight is under control will often have the advantage. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated a correlation between obesity and lower earnings for both men and women.

Resolve to Take Control

One of the most powerful emotions that brings about change is resolve. It’s what gives you the determination to change when you have had enough. It’s when deep inside you say with grit and determination, “I’ve had it!” It’s the time when you say, “It’s over; I am going to change this area of my life. I know it won’t be easy, but I AM GOING TO DO IT.”

Are you ready to take control of your weight? Here are seven steps to get you started.

• Make better food choices. You know the foods you should and shouldn’t be eating.  If you don’t know, make it a point to educate yourself.
• Drink water. Avoid drinks with chemical additives like sodas as well as drinks that contain high amounts of liquid carbohydrates.
• Find an exercise you enjoy—even if it’s as simple as walking and do it regularly.
• Don’t eat between meals. This is prime fat burning time. If you absolutely must snack, keep it healthy.
• Increase your dietary fiber intake to a minimum of 28 grams a day.
• Don’t overeat.
• Avoid desserts.

If you are having difficulty losing weight, tell your healthcare provider. There are tests that can be run to identify the problem.

What kinds of setbacks or limitations (life, health, career, etc.) have you experienced personally or observed of others when it comes to weight? Please share your experience in the comment section below this post.

Let today be the day you make the decision that enough is enough and that you are going to learn what you need to do to get your weight under control.

About the Author: Todd Smith is a successful entrepreneur of 29 years and founder of Little Things Matter. To receive Todd’s daily lessons, subscribe here. All Todd’s lessons are also available on iTunes as downloadable podcasts. (Todd’s podcasts are listed #50 in America’s top 100 podcasts.)

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For the sake of this lesson, I define your self-image as the combination of your self-worth, self-confidence, self-esteem, self-respect, because they really all do impact how you look at yourself.

6.  Focus On Your Self-talk—Your self-talk is the conversations you have with yourself. If those conversations focus on your faults, mistakes, weaknesses or insecurities, it will be impossible to feel good about yourself. Become aware of these conversations and make sure they stay positive. When they get negative, analyze the reason behind your thoughts and work to correct them.

As I said in It’s a New Day when you make mistakes, learn all you can learn from them and use your self-control to move on. Learning to control the conversations you have with yourself is critical to building a strong self-image.

7.  Practice Daily Self-discipline—As I said in my post, The Hidden Benefit of Discipline, there is a direct link between your self-image and your self-discipline. When you do what you know you should do, you will feel great about yourself. At the same time when you don’t do the things you know you should, it has the opposite effect. Go do something you have been putting off and see how you feel about yourself when you are done.

8.  Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself—This point is a fine line. On one hand, if you don’t push and stretch yourself, you will never become all you are capable of becoming. At the same time, you need to recognize that it’s okay to give yourself a break from time to time. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. We all have weaknesses. Learn to push yourself to be your best, but at the same time don’t beat yourself up if you’re not perfect.

9.  Learn How to Deal with Criticism—One of the things that I often see that destroys a person’s self-image is their inability to accept and process criticism. I would bet I have received constructive feedback or criticism more than a thousand times. While all feedback and criticism is hard at first, the key is to be able to learn all you can learn from it, and then to use your self-control to stop thinking about it. Dwelling on criticism is a self-image killer.

10.  Focus on God’s Plan For Your Life—God has a plan and purpose for your life. More than likely it is staring you in the face. Make a list of your most unique gifts and strengths and understand they have been giving to you for a reason. If you will use those to their fullest, your life will take on a new meaning and your self-image will soar.

If you are struggling with your self-image, then starting today, incorporate these 10 tips into your daily routine. When you get down on yourself, re-read part 1 and part 2 of this lesson.

Bonus Tip: Stop hanging out with people who tear you down and start hanging around the people who lift you up. The people you allow in your life will influence the person you become.

“Are you allowing your weaknesses and insecurities to keep you from being your best? God loves to use ordinary people just like you and me, faults and all, to do extraordinary things.” -Joel Osteen

About the Author: Todd Smith is a successful entrepreneur of 29 years and founder of Little Things Matter. To receive Todd’s daily lessons, subscribe here.

To read part 1 click here

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1. When you greet people in person for the first time—To make a positive first impression when meeting new people, include the following as part of your greeting: a warm smile, an introduction that includes your first and last name, a welcoming comment, direct eye contact and a firm handshake, if appropriate. I also recommend repeating the person’s name. For instance, “It’s very nice to meet you Bob.”

2. When you meet people who don’t tell you their name—If this occurs, simply ask them for their name. I might say, “I didn’t catch your name.” After they respond, I will repeat their name as described in the previous point. This is a simple way of demonstrating your interest in them.

3. When someone introduces you and does not include your name—When you are introduced to someone and the person making the introduction doesn’t include your name, it’s likely they forgot it or they don’t know how to make a proper introduction. In this case, offer a warm greeting as I described in the first tip and be sure to include your first and last name. This will prove you are paying attention and that you realize your name was omitted.

4. When you greet someone who likely forgot your name—When I greet people I have not seen in a while, I always take the initiative to introduce myself by name. I could say, “Hi Paul; Todd Smith; how are you doing?” If I don’t remember the person’s name, I will introduce myself by sharing my name and hope they respond by sharing theirs. If people don’t offer their name in the greeting, I will often say something like, “Will you kindly remind me of your name?”

5. When you are not introduced—I was with a friend in a restaurant recently and a couple of his friends stopped by the table to say hi. He talked to them for a few minutes but never introduced me. The proper etiquette in this circumstance would have been for him to introduce me to his friends.

When I’m not introduced to people, I generally respond by introducing myself if the right opportunity presents itself. This seems to make everyone feel more comfortable.

6. When you meet with a group of people you DON’T know—Have you ever walked into a room with a small group of people you didn’t know and stood there awkwardly not knowing what you should do? If this happens, be proactive and introduce yourself to each person in the room. This will make you stand out from the group as someone with confidence. It will also make everyone feel more at ease.

7. When you meet with a group of people you DO know—When you get together with a group of friends or business associates, immediately greet each person with a friendly greeting. As new people join the group, be the first one to show you care by greeting them. My daughter Hannah calls this “Being Like a Dog.” Dogs are always happy to see you and they’re the first ones to greet you.

8. When you meet with a group of people-some you know and some you don’t know—When I find myself in this situation, I will always greet the people I know and introduce myself to the people I have not yet met. Once again, this seems to make everyone in the group feel comfortable.

9. When you greet a receptionist—Whether you are greeting the receptionist at your dentist’s office or at the offices of one of your clients, always introduce yourself with a smile and friendly greeting. For instance, “Hi my name is Todd Smith, I have a 4:00 appointment with Steve Johnson.” In the case of a business environment, I always hand the receptionist my business card to go along with my verbal introduction.

10. Practice, practice, practice—If you will follow these tips, you can be assured of making a positive first impression and enhance your existing relationships. You will be viewed as someone who is friendly, confident and recognizes the value of making people feel comfortable. I realize some of these recommendations may feel a little uncomfortable at first, but like anything, the more you do it, the more comfortable it will become.

When you show an interest in others and the things important to them, they will show an interest in you and the things important to you!

About the Author: Todd Smith is a successful entrepreneur of 29 years and founder of Little Things Matter.To receive Todd’s daily lessons, subscribe here. All Todd’s lessons are also available on iTunes as downloadable podcasts. (Todd’s podcasts are listed in America’s top 100 podcasts.)

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There has never been a time in my life when I’ve noticed more people being irresponsible than I see today. It’s almost as if people feel that it’s acceptable not to do what is expected of them and that it’s the new standard in our society. The source of the problem is not what’s important. Rather I want to focus on the opportunities it presents for you.

If you will make a commitment to become a more responsible person, people’s respect will not just grow, but it will soar. Your relationships will become more meaningful and your career will advance to a new level.

Top Five Tips to Brand Yourself as Someone Who is Responsible

Here are my top five tips on becoming responsible:

Return e-mails—When people send e-mails; most of them are expecting a reply within 24 hours. For this reason, strive to return all your personal and business e-mails within 24 hours, even if it is simply to acknowledge the e-mails and let them know when they can expect to hear back from you. While there will be occasions when this is just not possible, make those times the exceptions and not the norm.

Return telephone calls—When people leave you messages; most of them are expecting a returned call within 24 hours. When you return your calls in a timely manner, people appreciate it and their respect for you will grow. If necessary, use travel time to return calls. Even if you aren’t being paid for your extra efforts today, your value to the market will grow and you will be paid for it the rest of your career.

When it is not possible to return people’s calls within 24 hours, send a short e-mail acknowledging their calls and provide a couple windows of time you are available to talk. Then proceed to schedule firm times to talk. If the subject of their messages is such where you can respond to by e-mail, then save time by responding by email.

Be on time—When you are late for appointments with people who value their time, you will have wasted one of their most valuable assets and there is a good chance they will view you as rude, irresponsible and disrespectful. If you are occasionally late for your appointments, take a couple minutes and read my lesson on the Importance of Being on Time.

Exceed expectations—Take pride in your work and if you are going to put your name on something make sure it is the absolute best you can do. Start striving for excellence in all that you do. The more you stretch yourself to be your very best, the more growth you will experience and the more success and fulfillment you will enjoy. Remember, you can’t grow and get better if you aren’t stretching yourself.

Do what you say you will do—From this day forward when you tell people you will do something, do it, even if you later regret having agreed to do it. I have followed through on many projects shaking my head wondering why I agreed to do something. When you follow through with your commitments, you build character and you will become wiser about the things you agree to in the future.

Being Responsible Improves Your Brand

Build a brand for yourself so that people know if you’re the one in charge, the task or the project will be done on time with excellence. I want to challenge you, to hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Go above and beyond what might be viewed as your job description or society’s expectations.

Always be accountable to somebody for completing an action, for successfully carrying out a duty, or for fulfilling a promise. A person who does as promised gains the reputation of being reliable. People want to associate with and give their business to someone whom they can count on.

Here’s a critical point that I can’t stress enough. You should not distinguish between your commitments to being responsible in your career and those in your personal life. What so many people don’t seem to comprehend is that how they are viewed outside the workplace is just as important as how they are viewed in the workplace.

And lastly, don’t offer excuses to justify why you can’t be responsible. We are all busy but it’s a matter of setting priorities. If being viewed, as a responsible person is important to you, then you will find the time to do what’s required to fulfill your basic responsibilities.

One of the best ways to earn a person’s respect is to consistently do what is expected of you. It will make you stand out from the crowd.

About the Author: Todd Smith is a successful entrepreneur of 29 years and founder of Little Things Matter.To receive Todd’s daily lessons, subscribe here. All Todd’s lessons are also available on iTunes as downloadable podcasts. (Todd’s podcasts are listed in America’s top 100 podcasts.)

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