Lose weight to get ahead? ANY "CITY" WORKERS?

[user1465284888]

To cut a long story short, I love my mentor. She has been a lifeline over the past 5 years and has been a motivating factor ever since.

I am a UK size 14/16 and have recently embraced a vegetarian lifestyle due to health complications. I'm about to start work in the city and she is a veteran the field. Fortunately, for her, she WON the genetic lottery, me on the other hand...

She told me to lose weight with the next year (which will be just before my grad training period ends) in order to be more successful at work. I told her she sounds like Katie Hopkins, but I feel like I should take her word for it. After all, she has been in senior position for the past 10 years!

As a newbie at work when would I be able to go to the gym? I would be in the office for 7:30-7:45am (after an hour commute) and would finish after 6/6:30pm (on a good day). City working mums - when do you exercise?

I'm going to be blunt. (Ex City worker, still regularly meets in the City).

Size 14/16 is not huge. Dress well and be well groomed, and you'll still make an impression.

Your mentor has given you some pretty unvarnished advice, but there is a kernel of truth to it in the City. It's not the be all and end all though!

I'm worried you are putting too much emphasis on it. Your success will come from your performance, and if you are anxious about weight your performance might suffer. Trust me when I say it's very much secondary to how well you do your job! Just make sure your clothes are well fitting and smart. Lose weight if you can and if you want to.