Ima,

Not just too many carbohydrates makes you fat. Too much calories from any category makes you fat, but carbohydrates and dairy are worst.

If you are going to have rice, try brown or wild rice. These tend to be absorbed far slower and don't spike your glucose like refined carbs (white rice, white flour, sucrose, etc.). If you can't stand the taste then try mixing half white rice with half brown or wild rice. I have lowered my blood sugars by eliminating almost all carbs (potatoes, pasta, commercial cereals) except wild/brown rice, oatmeal, and a little chocolate now and then.

You may also wish to try fasting. If I do this for three days and then again a week later for three days, I will lose all cravings for carbohydrates for about a month. And then I only find I have cravings about half as much as previously for the next two months. Then I fast again. But you have to pick a time when you don't have much to do because as you may not have much energy while fasting. Check will a doctor first if you have meds or medical conditions of any sort.

Also, certain other medical conditions cause cravings. Diabetes, food allergies (esp. grains), intestinal absorptions illnesses, vitamin deficiencies, alcohol use, and low-grade internal fungal (yeast) infections may trigger this. Also if you have emotional eating, some people to benefit from being followed by a nutritionist/psychologist. See a relevent specialist as needed, but you are warned that good ones for any of the above are extrememly hard to find and expensive!

If you go the exercise route be sure to combine 20-30 minutes of cardio work three times a week with some form of resistance work three times a week as well. Alternating days for each of these. Resistance exercise refers to weightlifting (weight resistance), cycling (ground resistance), swimming (water resistance). Some sports that rely heavily on the thigh muscles (tennis/soccer) have been shown to be equally beneficial. This actually grows your muscles during your down hours so that you burn more calories. (Sorry, but golf doesn't count!)

Also most people don't know this. But the diabetes drug Glucophage (there has been a generic for a year now and the price has crashed - dirt cheap - only $25 to $40 a month self-pay in US dependant on dosage) has been shown to induce significant weightloss (30+ pounds) in about a third of people who take it. And I'm not talking diabetics, just your plain old regular overweight person. Much better and safer to try this first than that Meridia or speed pills crap should you want to go that route.

Also, there are several good card recipe companies, They send you ten to fifteen nutritious simple recipes about every six weeks for about $15. These are on overlarge laminated index shape type cards. I will look into if I still have any info around and follow up.

I know this is probably more than you wanted to know, but thought I would tell all I know about the subject in a nutshell all at once.

-Steve