Thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, those are all great chicken herbs. You're still taking in the carbohydrate calories. I think it's a great choice to eat whole grains, those are fantastic. But if you're trying to lose weight, there's little advantage to brown rice over white. You have higher fiber in brown rice, which removes some of the bulk, but the carbohydrate calories are still the same.
Whole grains are a healthier way of eating, but the carbohydrate calories are equivalent.
Should you cut red meat out of your diet - Jim on Good Morning America today said he hasn't eaten red meat since he's been in the house. That's a personal choice. Red meat should certainly me limited, but it's an individual's choice to remove it completely from the diet. I have a lot of low calorie cook books, but most of those meals look like they are complicated and time-consuming to prepare. There's always the upscale supermarket salad bar, if you make the right choices.