Hi Jennifer
Welcome back! It sounds like you are learning things about yourself which will help you with recommitting.
It seems you have a great plan for paying more attention to inches than the scale. I use the scale for information only. I've only lost 3 pounds since Jan. but lately everyone has been commenting again about my weight loss. What changed? Spring-and I'm riding my bike everyday!
Suggestion; if you really like eating meat, perhaps you could just scale back a bit and most importantly, don't give up! Find the balance with your calories AND the way you like to eat and make it a plan for life. From what I understand, maintenance is pretty much like dieting; a continual quest to make better choices.
Best wishes!