Disappointed and frustrated with weight loss

[Starsocks]

I've been eating better and exercising for roughly 8 weeks now.

I've always fluctuated between 9-11 stone. I admit to being a couch potato and eating loads of crap, dh and I will sit and order takeaways, eat cream cakes, chocolates and crisps many evenings. Weekend we'd grab a Greggs or McDonald's instead of making lunch. I basically eat what I like.

So, I've cut out all the rubbish food, my meals are like this.

Plain porridge for breakfast
Egg salad for lunch and a yoghurt
Dinner will be something homemade, curry, Bolognese, fish with veg, chilli, casserole. I try not to have huge portions of carbs with dinner.
Nothing else.

I've cut right back on takeaways and I'm having no cakes or chocolate or anything like that. I track on my fitness pal and I'm eating between 1000 and 1500 calories (on a bad day).

I'm exercising 5 times a week, swimming, cycling and jogging.

I've only lost about 3-4 pounds. Then the same 2 pounds keeps coming off and back on.

I'm definitely getting more toned, and the exercise makes me feel great, but I'm pretty disappointed with the weight loss.

I suppose I could go further and cut carbs, but I'd never stick to it long term. Not sure what else I can do.

You don't need to cut carbs
What sort of serving sizes are you having? Are you weighing them?
And when you're making your porridge, chilli, spag bol etc how are you making them? e.g. are you making the porridge with milk? what sort? how much?
What % fat mince do you use? Do you cook with oil
What sort of yoghurt are you having with lunch?

And what about drinks?

If you're not losing weight you are still consuming too many calories. Perhaps your portions are much larger than you realise.

Thanks for replying.

I make the porridge with 50/50 milk/semi skimmed milk. I measure out 30g of porridge.

I use Quorn mince for chilli/Bolognese and I cook with a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Then I have 100g of pasta or 75g of rice with 2 ladles of the sauce.

My yoghurts tend to be either those ski mouses, or Greek yoghurt with real fruit.

I don't drink alcohol, I have 2 cups of coffee, no sugar, the rest of my drinks are water or black currant squash.

I'm obviously still eating too many calories, I guess I can switch to skimmed milk and fry light .

That was meant to say I make the porridge with half milk half water.

Have you actually measured yourself? If you have noticed that you have got more toned from the exercise then you could have lost some fat BUT gained some muscle (which is the holy grail of dieting in my view, and hard to achieve except at the start of a diet and exercise programme). Your diet sounds fine to me, including calorie count, though do beware of the takeaways and I'd aim for an average calorie intake of 1300 max.