I can only say what works for me. Calorie counting, measuring and exercise works for me.
It seems like every time I think I do well enough to 'eyeball' things, I gain.
and the info from the national weight loss registry that says that of the 5% of people who lose weight and keep it off, I think something like 85% of them track calories, even after goal.
It seems to be what works most of the time, for most of the people.
For me, I know that if I could trust myself that much, I wouldn't be where I am today.