Have you tried to increase protein and decrease Carbs? Do not get rid of all carbs just really watch your intake and lower it a bit! A great person to understand this from is Jorge Cruise the Belly Fat Diet! This is where I started to understand the whole Carb/sugar thoughts! http://www.meandjorge.com/
http://www.jorgecruise.com/
I'm not following his diet but I got some great recipes and information from his book! So what I've done is just figured out what works for me and I'm feeling it out with my body!
But you are doing so great! You've lost 8.5 pounds! This is AMAZING! So give yourself a break like a nice hot bath or a reward. You totally deserve it!