Vintage

I think this all sounds fantastic. I'm a huge proponent of activities for kids that encourage them to develop full body coordination, spatial awareness and basic functional movement patterns (run, jump, crawl, climb, squat down, throw things, pick up things of all sizes, etc) while moving multiple planes and directions AND teach them that activity is fun and has more purpose than either winning trophies or burning calories. I loathe the early sports specialization trend where kids end up spending hours per week ingraining a few movements/skills at increasingly younger ages. One thing about using play and exploration (and keeping things varied) is that it allows kids with different body types and strengths to find ways that work for their bodies. And as a homeschooling family I'm sure you're finding ways to incorporate problem solving, creativity, planning and cooperation.

The only suggestion I have is to follow the same philosophy with food and nutrition at home, especially if you're concerned about either one putting on or keeping off weight. Let them contribute to planning and prepping meals (if you have space consider a small gardening project as well), explore new foods, and talk about how different foods benefit our bodies. Meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking and gardening all lend themselves well to problem solving, math, reading and science skills. 

Fortunately I had the whole 2 minutes of free time required to read your post.

My recommendation is to find out what's causing your hip issues. Get your xrays and take/send them to a very good orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip disorders in children and young adults (this may take a little effort and searching depending on your location) to rule out structural issues in the hip/pelvis. If that all looks clear then go find a good PT to check & fix your movement patterns, stability and mobility. 

The thinner grip makes a HUGE difference. As a female with small hands I can't get my hands around a full diameter bar to correctly hook grip (the grip you use for oly lifting).The crossfit gym I work at has an even split of men's and women's bars, and the women definitely prefer the 15kg ones because of the grip. Actually some of the men not so secretly prefer the smaller diameter bar too. It also gives females the chance to drop weight a little lower for certain movements (overhead presses, overhead squats, various accessory movements). Unless you plan on pursuing powerlifting competitively I would go with the 15kg. 

15kg bars are shorter than 20kg, but the difference lies outside the collars so they fit in a standard rack. 

That said because I train in a place with both, I generally powerlift (overhead press, bench, deadlift, squat) with a 20kg bar. I've never had a problem making the switch between the two sizes so don't stress about it. 

All of mine have hooks along with the racerback. It's actually helpful if you have boobs an need a sports bra that's sized well (and not just "tight"). 

The trick: clasp it first, then put it on. I do both arms and my head so that it's around my chest but above my boobs and then just pull the front and back down (I admit I usually stick my hand down the front of the bra to grab my boobs and put them in correctly. While you're in the middle of the process it feels like it's just not going to happen, that thing isn't getting on. And then all of a sudden it's on and you (hopefully) have a well fitting and effective sports bra. 

Of course, they're tough to get off too, especially when your lats and triceps are sore. 

I'm with the others on the bulk cooking. One way to help with this is to use ingredients that will pull double duty. For example I'll make a chicken dish (a soup for instance) and make extra chicken. Then that chicken becomes part of a second meal - chicken and salsa on half a baked potato with some steamed broccoli. Or last week I made a pork roast and froze part of it. Now the leftover pork roast is being used in my breakfast scrambles. Sometimes it's as simple as cooking some extra chicken breasts and grabbing a salad from the grocery store while I'm out and about to put them on top of. Hell, even 1 slice of pizza grabbed while I'm out + a chicken breast from home is better than 2-3 slices of pizza. 

You can also bulk cook or prep your dinners so that you have an easy, healthy dinner planned when you come home super hungry. 

When I have long days I often do breakfast at home, then pack my cooler with a midmorning snack, lunch (to be eaten around 1-2) and a pretty large late afternoon snack (I'm a fan of meatballs made in large batches and stored in the freezer). This allows me to make it home where I'll have my (very late) dinner pre-cooked or at least prepped for quick heating and eating. 

I agree with the TheDisapprovingBrit (though I agree with the others as well).You don't need to create the perfect diet, and you certainly don't need to do it overnight. The whole point is to improve your life, not make you miserable.

I have always had more success when I focus on getting the right stuff into my body, not on taking stuff away from it. Get plenty of protein and a solid amount of fats (aim for a gram of protein per lb of bodyweight and 75g of fat to start with), eat a wide variety of plenty of fruits and vegetables to make sure your fiber and micronutrients are all sufficient, and then don't stress too much about the carbs. There's a good chance it'll start self correcting.

I do poorly on super low carbs, and I don't eat strict paleo. But usually when I go hunting for recipe inspiration I look to paleo/primal blogs and cookbooks because they give me meals that center on proteins and veggies - it's easy to add in the carbs as needed. 

Last thing... when you're thinking about veggies, make sure you're including starchier and denser ones. Squash of all types, sweet and regular potatoes, turnips and beets, carrots, etc.  

Eat the eggs. For the exception of certain people who's bodies don't process dietary cholesterol normally (you'd most likely know this by now, through family history or your own blood work), cholesterol in a balanced diet is easily dealt with. In fact, our bodies use it to synthesize hormones like testosterone. Studies on cholesterol (like many other diet related studies) often run up against a problem of confounding factors. How many of the people in the "eggs every day" category are eating 3 eggs scrambled with 2 servings of veggies and some lean chicken, and how many are eating 3 fried eggs with bacon, sausage, cheese, potatoes, and some toast on the side? Then which ones followed that up with a salad at lunch and which ones with a patty melt and fries? 

That said, eggs are great in that they have a nice balance of protein and fat. But they're not really a super lean source of protein, and they're not a terribly efficient source of protein all on their lonesome. 3 eggs is still less than 20g of protein. So consider tossing in some lean chicken, pork or beef (or another solid protein source) as well (plus some veggies) for a main meal. 

I've gone through stages with this - I've got a long eating disorder history - and still occasionally have to adjust my approach. What worked for me when I first started losing weight isn't necessarily the same now, and different people have different things work and not work.

1)performance based goals - when I started training at a crossfit gym I didn't set any weight loss goals. I came up with performance and habit based goals that were compatible with losing weight, but also encouraged being healthier and building muscle. By the time I felt ok setting a weight goal (i.e. I felt fairly stable in my eating and thought processes) I had already lost 40 lbs. I also didn't own a scale during that initial period. Now I feel ok setting a goal to drop bodyfat and focusing efforts on it in part because during that initial period I learned to value getting stronger, faster, healthier, technically more proficient, learning new skills, etc. The size and body comp goals are balanced out by the other stuff well. 

2)fat loss, not weight loss. This seems like semantics, but it became a big deal. I needed to eat to fuel my muscles and my workouts and I needed protein. It also meant that if I stepped on the scale and it was 4 lbs heavier than the day before, I could take it in stride. I didn't put on 4 lbs of fat overnight, which means that number is showing something else. This also discourages me from obsessively weighing or trying to manipulate the scale when I'm going through periods where old thought patterns and behaviors are coming back up. Taking photos and measurements helps a lot as well.

3)I count calories now on most days. But there are days I don't, and I feel ok about that. I cook most of my meals and plan my eating with a focus on getting adequate protein, veggies, fiber, carbs and healthy fats. But I also plan Friday nights out with friends when I'll eat fries and chicken wings or a burger if that's what I'm wanting. I feel like I'm making good choices the vast majority of the time, so the other stuff becomes both less stressful and less guilt inducing. (Note: there's research supporting the idea that we actually enjoy foods more when we feel guilty about them.) 

-Egg casseroles or muffins can be made ahead of time and reheated in the AM. 

-Try fridge oats instead of the yogurt - I use full fat greek yogurt + milk as my liquid. As long as there's no fresh fruit in them, you can make about 3 days worth in advance (you can add fruit the night before if you want. I like frozen fruit in mine - cheaper and easier.

-Super easy meal prep ideas: grill or bake a bunch of chicken. Marinades can be as simple as lemon juice and olive oil. Bake some potatoes or sweet potatoes. Better yet, cut some potatoes into chunks and put them in a baking dish with other hearty veggies, and lay the marinaded chicken on top - bake till it's all done. Meatballs are easy to make in big batches, freeze well, are versatile, and it's easy to heat up one or two at a time for quick snacking on the go. 

-Frozen, steam-able bags of veggies are a little pricey but can be worth it if you're not into cooking or short on time. You can also get similar bags of rice with few added ingredients (skip sugary or cheesy sauces). Stock your freezer with those at the bakery. If you can bring yourself a chicken breast, steam a bag of veggies, and sprinkle on some lemon pepper or similar spice mix, you've got a very quick and healthy meal in a pinch.

I work at my crossfit gym (I was a member first, and I arrived there completely sedentary and 75lbs overweight) and I know how intimidating it all seems. But really we see very few injuries, and they're almost never in new members, particularly the people who arrive there intimidated or concerned about getting hurt.  The injuries happen when people come in and have something to prove or blow off everything we say about form, safety and recovery in favor of protecting their ego. 

Some straightforward advice:

1) Tell your ego to shut up. In your case this may mean ignoring the part of your brain that keeps saying "Everyone thinks I look ridiculous or don't know what I'm doing and I'll always be the worst one in the group." None of this is true - everyone else is either busy busting their own ass and/or knows that that's how you get started. 

2) Ask. Need a coach to teach or review a movement? Ask. Unsure if your form is ok? Ask. Uncomfortable with a movement and want to sub it out? Ask. Don't know how to hold a barbell or adjust the racks? Ask. 

3) Pick a number of days you can reasonably make every week and class times you can make regularly, and really commit to it. 2-3 days per week is plenty. Schedule those classes into your week, put them in your calendar, and prioritize them. Need to miss a class for something important? Immediately decide when you're going to go instead and put that in your calendar. Building the habit and getting confident and comfortable being there is priority #1 for people starting out. 

4) Know why you're there. Are you there to become a competitive crossfitter or because you enjoy it or because you want to be fitter and healthier for the rest of your life? This question is what should be guiding a lot of the choices you make, from how often to train to when to take a day (or week) off to when you should take a movement that bothers you out of your training. 

5) Set goals for yourself. Members who set goals for themselves are more motivated and more enthusiastic about their progress.  

Edited in response to your post while I was writing mine: 75 minutes? How long are the classes?  Also, bad push up form drives me insane  -  but proper form will get ingrained quickly if you stick with it. 

Do you mean "a strict meal plan" or "strictly following a meal plan"? Those can be two very different things. 

If you envision a strict meal plan as being brown rice, steamed brocoli, and baked chicken (or other super narrow parameters) then no, this doesn't help me much. It's more restrictive than I need it to be - the sacrifice isn't justified by the results. 

But strictly following a meal plan is hugely helpful for me. Planning out my meals ahead of time (and which meals will be unplanned, like when I know I'm going out to eat), and pre-cooking and portioning my meals has probably been my most effective strategy for losing weight. I can include some foods or ingredients that aren't clean/paleo/healthy (pick your adjective) in controlled, intentional amounts and still see results if I'm eliminating the craving, emotion, whim or convenience driven choices. 

Even if a person doesn't do this long term, I think most people can learn a lot by adhering to a meal plan for a few weeks to a month. Taking the "what sounds yummy right now?" out of the equation for a little while and focusing on the bigger picture is helpful.

For egg muffins (and similar things like egg casseroles, meatloaves or mini meatloaves, spicy tuna cakes) I've found certain frozen veggies to be my go-to. I buy big bags of frozen broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, carrots, peas. They can stay in the freezer for when you need them, they microwave quickly and reduce chopping, and they're often cheaper. 

If you aren't looking to lose weight, then you don't need to be decreasing calories. Actually, a small increase and some strength training might make you look and feel healthier overall. Replace some of your carbs with protein and fat (boiled eggs, tuna salad with homemade olive oil mayo on cucumber slices, cottage cheese or full fat yogurt if you tolerate dairy, nuts) and add in more veggies in a wider variety, particularly fibrous ones. 

As for hunger... I've learned which hunger signs to ignore and which ones to pay attention to. Stomach a little rumbly and/or I just want something to eat? I can ignore that. But there are subtler signs that I'm not eating enough or my bloodsugar has dropped (a common issue for me) like irritability, plummeting mood, headache, difficulty focusing, anxiety or a general feeling of unease, that I know I need to address. 

I'm a big believer in going after the low-hanging fruit first when making diet changes- no need to get complicated. Have one pack of ramen instead of 2, and toss some meat and frozen veggies in there. Replace one of those hot dogs with carrots. Double the meat and halve the cheese on your sandwich. Using mayo? Switch to ketchup or mustard or relish. Choose the salsa over the onion dip, and portion it out before you start eating so you're eating one serving of chips, not 3. 

You sound like you're willing to be patient on the fat loss, which is awesome. Start with little, common-sense changes and accumulate them over time. 

One practical reason (among many reasons, including those above) - as your weight gets heavier, you'll need more warm-up sets to get to your max sets. This a)takes a lot of time and b)adds a fair amount of volume. Plus it's easy to missjudge your jumps - too big and you're not ready for it, too small and you're fatigued before getting to your max set. Working in a pyramid gives you some structure to that build up and manages volume somewhat.
 

cottage cheese (I like mine with salt and pepper, not fruit or sweet stuff)

boiled eggs

carrots, cucumbers, jicama, bell pepper

sliced turkey from the deli

yogurt, but buy it plain and flavor/sweeten it yourself

nuts and nut butters, but with caution

berries and grapes - I like mine frozen when I'm wanting sweet stuff

I also plan out my meals and food so that I hit my protein goal and have gotten in all the stuff I need (fiber, veggies, healthy fats, carbs) but will often leave 100-200 calories leftover to address cravings. When I'm in fat loss mode this requires my meals to be super on point, but it leaves me a defined space for those "I'd punch my grandmother for some ice cream/potato chips/beer" moments or the times when I'm just hungrier than usual. Similar to setting a spending budget - account for the necessities and then set yourself an allowance or mad money amount out of what's left. 

Submaximal simply refers to not lifting at your current max all the time.

Depending on your crossfit's particular programming (especially how often you oly lift at fairly heavy wights or do heavy kettlebell swings), you're probably doing a fair amount of relevant volume at lower percentages of your max. But you may be able to help this along by choosing weights in workouts with your goal in mind. Go heavy more often even if it means sacrificing time (but not if it means sacrificing safety), or go heavy on a relevant movement and scale another to balance it out. Communicate with your coaches - if your gym is deadlifting at a higher volume and lower weight, ask if you can decrease reps and increase weight. 

Continuing in that train of thought, speak with your coaches or owner if possible about your goal and ask if they can help you out a bit or give some suggestions for how to work this out. Good coaches and owners know that 1)clients who are setting and pursuing goals will be more motivated and more satisfied with their workouts and the gym and 2)if you're not helping your clients to meet their goals at your gym, they'll leave. I work at a cf gym and we ask clients to set goals regularly and help figure out steps to meet them. This might mean that a client pursuing their first pull up is given 10 minutes of supplementary work to do before class starts, someone wanting to drop extra bodyfat is urged to add sprint work one day per week,  a person with a nagging, low-level injury is given some movement substitutions to use in workouts, or someone who wanted to increase their major lifts is urged to focus on challenging themselves with heavier weights each workout instead of speed or reps. 

I have the women's version of these new balance minimus ones in the wide option and I really like them for mixed workouts. They're a good balance of thin soled and flexible while still having some arch support. You can find them on either Amazon or Zappos. 

An update on the past two months...

I've got a surgery date set for Feb. 17th with a doctor at Stanford who I feel great about. I'll be on crutches for 2 months or more and out of the gym for at least 3 after that. In the meantime I'm focused on 1) prepping for that recovery, in part by strengthening my core, improving hip stability and improving upper body muscular endurance (crutching is exhausting)   2)trying to minimize imbalances that are developing after months of babying one side and now limping   and 3)keeping body weight down to reduce stress on my hip. 

I cut workouts down to 3x per week, with conditioning work only on Fridays. I'm doing almost no mobility work since I'm hypermobile, but a ton of stability work. There's been a mental component to this since these don't feel or look like "real" workouts to me a lot of the time. I spend a lot of time moving slowly and carefully and doing isolation work, and very little weight gets moved. The basic template and then an example are below. If you get really bored my workout log is here. 

Monday

SL
+
Hip stability/glute activation
+
UB Pull stability
+
Loaded UB Push

Wednesday

SL
+
Hip stability/glute activation
+
Push/Pull

Friday

Transverse plane
+
SA/SL
+
Internal rotation
+
Metcon

Push/Pull/Transverse plane

Monday Week 1

A. Box Step-Up @ 2111 x 20 alternating steps; rest 45 sec btw sets x 4

B1. Jane Fonda x 20 R/L; no rest
B2. Table stretch; 30 sec; no rest
x5

C. Accumulate 1 minute chin over bar hold in as few sets as possible x 3
+
25 WTD Dips 15# for time (deep) 

Wednesday Week 1

A. Monster Walk x 12 steps forward/12 steps backwards; rest 1 min x 4

B1. Single Leg Bridge x 10 @ 2112 R/L; no rest
B2. Half Straddle Hold; 30 sec; no rest
x5

C1. BTN Standing Press x 5-8 @ 31X1; rest 90 sec (
C2. Single Arm DB Row x 10-12 @ 31X1; rest 45 sec btw arms
x4

Friday Week 1

A. Sideways Sled Pull 10 meters R/L; rest 90 sec x 5

B1. Suitcase Carry 40-50m; rest 60 sec btw arms
B2. Single Arm DB Push Press x 8-10 @ 31X1; rest 60 sec btw arms
x4

C. Internal Rotation Contract Relax 10 on/5 off x 5 R/L; rest 1 min x 3
+
3 rounds for time:
5 Strict Pull-Ups
10 Ring Dips
20 Cross Box Step-Ups

From Gray Cook's article on toe touch problems:

Much of the posterior chain tension people feel if they can’t touch their toes is literally [the neurological system] putting on the brakes. This is due to a number of reasons.

•    The rhythm of the lumbar spine and pelvis could be out of sync—the hips and pelvis should be the first part of flexion, and the spine should be the second part of flexion.
•    They may not feel comfortable with the posterior weight shift required as the hips go back and the trunk comes forward.
•    They may not be comfortable bending the lumbar spine along with the hips in a rhythmical fashion.

On the second point, a common example is when a person doesn't have a great hip hinge pattern. As they try to shift their weight backward they feel unstable and their hamstrings and glutes activate to help stabilize them. When a muscle activates, it contracts - it becomes shorter, which is the exact opposite of what you need your hamstrings to do here (lengthen). So the person can't touch their toes and where do they feel tightness keeping them from doing so? Their hamstrings. 

This is where things like romanian deadlifts and goodmornings suggested above come in. Get comfortable and stable with that hip hinge pattern. kettlebell swings are a good choice too (provided you learn to do them correctly). 

Stretching and soft tissue work are important, but stability and mobility are closely tied together. Address both. 

True, conventional grips will be wider than "ideal" for many people. But I'd say the goal is the same: get your arms as close to a 90 degree angle as possible without your hands hitting your legs/hips.

I just dislike the description of sumo style as moving your hands inside your legs, at least for people new to lifting trying to learn about the two styles and how they differ. I've seen some nightmarish form with hands that end up about 2 inches apart on the bar (which, incidentally, is a position that makes it more difficult for many inexperienced trainees to keep their back tight). Move your legs outside of your hands for sumo. 

Yes. My post was a response to the initial discussion about sumo versus conventional DL. 

This sounds like nitpicking but it really isn't...

The difference between sumo and conventional deadlifts isn't the width of your hands. Your hands will still hang straight down from your shoulders in both styles. It's the stance width that differentiates the two styles. Don't think of the sumo dead as being hands inside your legs, think of it as being feet outside of your hands. 

Other than I agree that lifters should pick whichever one works better for them.

70's big has a good article for those who want to try out sumo style. 

http://70sbig.com/blog/2013/05/coaching-the-sumo-deadlift/

ETA: I wrote "both grips" at one point when I meant "both styles". Sorry for any confusion.

Ask where they came from!

You can also consider double layering, putting compression/yoga shorts under soccer style shorts. As long as the top llayer's not huge and don't go past your knee, they shouldn't catch on anything in a terrible way, and if they ride up some or fall down some you're covered. That's what a lot of our guys do.

I like the nike legend 2.0 capris (the poly/dri fit blend ones). They're thick enough not to feel naked in but not too hot. Athleta's Chi tank tops are my go-to tops, fitted enough to not be all over the place but not skin tight. They usually have colors on sale. But I also tuck my shirts in when I'm doing handstands usually. 

I'm willing to spend a reasonable amount of money on my workout capris, shorts and sports bras because I wear them a ton. I also take good care of my workout gear (hang them up to dry, don't wash them with things like towels, sweatshirts and jeans) so they last. 

One thing I figured out after several months of crossfit and trying to keep my pants from sliding down: a lot of workout bottoms are made to be worn without undies, and they tend to slide down way more when you wear something under them.