seattlelite

If this is someone you care about more than you simply disagree with her choice, you could try coming at it from a different angle than the weight loss. Ask her how she's feeling and what is she doing for fun these days. Talk about how much energy you have and the things about your appearance (other than just weight loss)…

I use brown basmati rice, and in my experience, it's always a little chewier than white rice. But it seems to cook in about the same amount of time. I use a rice cooker. (Just one of the lesser costlier ones). I have read that soaking the rice helps shorten cooking time. I've never tried it though.