Losing weight is SO hard, especially in a culture with so much food! everywhere you go there is food and i know that whenever i go out out my friends want to eat somewhere. But you are right. You cant just whinge and feel sorry for yourself. You have to take control and do the best that you can. I think the main problem is that no one is patient enough. They must realise it takes a long time! a whole lifestyle change in fact. I once heard this really good quote : "the world is full of fat people who dont have the patience to be thin" that is so true. If losing weight were easy, we'd all be skinny!!!