tdiprincess - I think what you said about taking a day off just from counting (and not a cheat day) would really work for me as a transition from calorie counting every day. I'm going to try taking a day for now and then if I do well I can up it to two days, three days, etc. Thanks for the tip!
leacj - I know what you mean about feeling empowered knowing more about the nutrition in food. It's helping me to (like you said) make informed decisions. At least this way I can choose between an okay treat instead of a bad treat