crap at work for wearing "Gym clothes" and eating at my desk

QuietBloom

Smells like sour grapes to me. Sorry you are having to deal with this OP. :frown:

lilawolf

You jog at lunch without changing your shirt? Maybe the problem is that you smell bad, but they didn't want to be rude? I certainly would stink if I ran/sweated in my work clothing and then just threw a sweater back over. If that is the case you ARE working in your workout clothes (since you worked out in them).

She said walk, not jog. I do the same thing. I'm not trying to break a sweat, just trying to move my body instead of sitting.

Actually she said:

I usually go for a walk or jog during lunch and then eat at my desk right after.

Walking is fine. I do the same. Jogging is a different story. ETA: If it is just walking, then I vote for the "They are jealous because you won the challenge" theory.

Aaron_K123

A little about myself:

I work in a business district where everyone at my work dresses business casual, here in SoCal weather. It is common practice to see people running around in the streets with gym clothes, casual, business clothes with running shoes.

I just finished the Biggest Loser competition at work (10 weeks) in first place but I'm still somewhat continuing my normal routine. I usually go for a walk or jog during lunch and then eat at my desk right after. I work in IT so I can't wear heels as a lady who may need to haul some equipment. I have to be wearing comfortable enough clothes. I have a workout buddy during lunch and she has been working here for 10 years. I just started last year. She wears a t shirt for longer periods of time than I do but she didn't get crap for it.

I wear something like this to work:

(sorry this picture was taken online but it was the best description I could find)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UL3nAuiQRrI/Uj92EfOG4FI/AAAAAAAAAuk/uXGG2K1y_To/s640/blogger-image-1859456157.jpg

I walk outside and remove my sweater. I come back inside for 5 minutes and cool off every time. Then I put my sweater back on. I never wore shorts to work (absolutely against the rules), and my boss told me just recently that someone told him that I was wearing gym clothes to work on a day he wasn't here. I never change how I dress. He's fine with how I dress but he told me that I should look into this.

On top of that I was told to stop eating at my desk while I work (everyone does this all the time) and to hide my gym shoes where it can't be seen. I have a good relationship with everyone in my office but I don't know why I got this crap from anonymous people.

I know I may be overreacting but it really hit me hard since no one has told me and it just hit me like someone was super offended by the way I dress like in that picture. How should I approach this? I'm trying to brush this off but it made me so upset I skipped out on gym last night (I usually go every day).

You rubbed a coworker the wrong way somehow, could be as simple as having lost the most weight. They are petty and are doing what they can to get back at you. It happens, people can be really petty.

lasarabande

A little about myself:

I work in a business district where everyone at my work dresses business casual, here in SoCal weather. It is common practice to see people running around in the streets with gym clothes, casual, business clothes with running shoes.

I just finished the Biggest Loser competition at work (10 weeks) in first place but I'm still somewhat continuing my normal routine. I usually go for a walk or jog during lunch and then eat at my desk right after. I work in IT so I can't wear heels as a lady who may need to haul some equipment. I have to be wearing comfortable enough clothes. I have a workout buddy during lunch and she has been working here for 10 years. I just started last year. She wears a t shirt for longer periods of time than I do but she didn't get crap for it.

I wear something like this to work:

(sorry this picture was taken online but it was the best description I could find)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UL3nAuiQRrI/Uj92EfOG4FI/AAAAAAAAAuk/uXGG2K1y_To/s640/blogger-image-1859456157.jpg

I walk outside and remove my sweater. I come back inside for 5 minutes and cool off every time. Then I put my sweater back on. I never wore shorts to work (absolutely against the rules), and my boss told me just recently that someone told him that I was wearing gym clothes to work on a day he wasn't here. I never change how I dress. He's fine with how I dress but he told me that I should look into this.

On top of that I was told to stop eating at my desk while I work (everyone does this all the time) and to hide my gym shoes where it can't be seen. I have a good relationship with everyone in my office but I don't know why I got this crap from anonymous people.

I know I may be overreacting but it really hit me hard since no one has told me and it just hit me like someone was super offended by the way I dress like in that picture. How should I approach this? I'm trying to brush this off but it made me so upset I skipped out on gym last night (I usually go every day).

Stuff to add:

- I eat the same stuff everyday for lunch. Steamed veggies (no extra stuff), green tea, and a blended up shake. None of these smell at all from a distance. I even asked people and they say it doesn't smell.

- I do change from work-appropriate shoes (flat, closed toe shoes since I work IT) to gym shoes and keep them well tucked under my desk.

- The picture in the link is not me but a picture I found off google that best describes what I wear to work.

- I'm not a sweaty person and I don't drench like crazy when I go for a moderate walk outside.

- I forgot to mention my workout buddy during lunch who wears the T-shirt was my partner in my biggest loser team (they take the avg % of weight loss in that contest between the two) and we both won 1st place, so it wasn't just me.

- No one in my IT dept. has complained about these. These were from outside of our dept.

Archon2

I had someone in my old office building always burning popcorn in the microwave. Dozens of offices were always impacted. Never found out who was doing it. There was also some lady that heated up some kind of strange smelling fish frequently...made me want to gag...and the smell would get integrated into my clothing from afar so I could smell it on my car ride home. Ugh. I am glad I changed buildings.

But sometimes people nuke stuff that smell delicious to me and eat at their desks. Makes it hard to concentrate on work!

richardheath

You jog at lunch without changing your shirt? Maybe the problem is that you smell bad, but they didn't want to be rude? I certainly would stink if I ran/sweated in my work clothing and then just threw a sweater back over. If that is the case you ARE working in your workout clothes (since you worked out in them).

She said walk, not jog. I do the same thing. I'm not trying to break a sweat, just trying to move my body instead of sitting.

Actually she said "I usually go for a walk or jog during lunch and then eat at my desk right after."

So - walk or jog and then no shower.

OP: are you stinky?

lasarabande

You jog at lunch without changing your shirt? Maybe the problem is that you smell bad, but they didn't want to be rude? I certainly would stink if I ran/sweated in my work clothing and then just threw a sweater back over. If that is the case you ARE working in your workout clothes (since you worked out in them).

She said walk, not jog. I do the same thing. I'm not trying to break a sweat, just trying to move my body instead of sitting.

Actually she said "I usually go for a walk or jog during lunch and then eat at my desk right after."

So - walk or jog and then no shower.

OP: are you stinky?

No. I even had my dude coworker smell me and he says I'm fine.

defauIt

Definitely jealousy and/or sexism. A lot of times men can dress down while women in the same work place are expected to wear dresses, skirts etc... Either way, you're dressed totally fine. I wouldn't change anything if I were you.

Whaaaaaaat? We must be living in alternate universes, women can get away with murder and have it count as business casual in every company I've ever worked for. Pretty much anything that's not jeans or yoga pants or a tank top are good to go for women where as men are required to wear dress pants or khakis with a dress shirt.

I'd kill to wear a nice breezy kilt on a scorching summer's day.

tigersword

Gym clothes aren't "business casual." Maybe you should worry more about adhering to the rules, and worry less about what other people are doing.

Maybe you should actually read what she wrote.

I work in a business district where everyone at my work dresses business casual.

Seems pretty straight forward to me. The rest of the post is various rationalizations and justifications as to why she shouldn't have to adhere to the dress code. "Other people do it," is kindergartner level logic, not valid reasoning.