OK, here is my two cents. First, I think the main problem is that you are not eating regularly, nor enough food. You can diet until the cows come home, if you are theoretically starving yourself and revving up your metabolism, then your body will hold onto any available calorie you take in, because this is famine time, and obviously we are working harder in this body. We don't know when we will get fed next, so we have to store everything away in case we need it. THAT is what your body is thinking. AND that actually slows down your metabolism.
Second, muscle does indeed weigh more than fat, so you can reduce inches but not the weight on the scale. Did you measure and weigh before you started? If you measured, then you indeed might see some changes that are not necessarily reflected in your weight on the scale.
Third, you need to cut out the diet drinks, PERIOD. Studies have shown that they actually trick your body into keeping weight on when dieting. Now, when you said diet drink, I assumed you were referring to, like diet coke or diet pepsi. Which are bad for dieters, unless used occassionally, like once a week. But daily in the quantity most dieters drink them is acutally counter-productive. If you are drinking slim fast as a diet drink, then you need to know they are full of carbs. So will ultimately defeat your purpose.
I like to think that when I am dieting, that I am making a lifestyle change. I do not say I am dieting and really hate that work. It implies it is temporary. So I call it an eating play. Which is simply planning what I eat, and sometimes I plan cake to keep the sweet tooth at bay.
I know that the South Beach diet is the best out there in my opinion. I have also used it for Diabetic teaching, when the need as arisen. I think it has a lot of good advice about moderation, nutrition, and combining carbs/fats/fiber for optimum weight loss. Plus, it advocates 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. I think that you should really look into it. With the exercise you are doing, I think that the weight would roll off of you. The kids and hubby can also be on it and they will never know. So you don't have to worry about doing seperate meals for the family and then one for you. Plus, it isn't a diet, but a lifestyle change. Once you stop the pills, and stuff more than likely you will put the weight back on. With a lifestyle change you probably won't. Besides, the pills are not healthy. Except maybe Ali. And that combined with fat to make you go poop, fast, when you eat anything with to much fat. But again, if you stop taking and start eating high fat again, then you may put the weight back on.
I have had a good success rate with the South Beach diet and as you can see highly recommend it as a safe weight loss. You should see results in the first two weeks. But you have to follow it. It is a change, but a good healthy one. I don't think you will feel deprived. You can eat. And eat frequently. SO, that is a plus in my book.
Good luck,
L.