Re: Sorry for getting all unfunnybusiness...
I think that's how dieting is for most people. It's so hard to "count calories" since they're essentially meaningless (as I said elsewhere, eating a cooked carrot is really different than a raw one, even though you don't change the "calorie" content and the nutrition rating is treated the same). That's why people on diets have to get so obsessive, because there's no other option. There's also the issue of shame and self-shame and trying to figure out why diets fail: People blame the dieters for deviating, so if you aren't obsessive and stay to it 100% it's your fault for failing, and that one party is the reason why you gained your weight back!

Or you could just eat what you want, when you want, and trust that your body is a well-honed organism designed to keep you alive and healthy for as long as possible. Which is surprisingly easy and, although only starting to be studied, is having great results.