Daily Calories

Honestly, IMO, and what has worked for me, its just about counting macronutrients and calories. This works for me because I can still enjoy foods that would be off limits on certain diets. If I have consumed few carbs and few fats for the day, I can eat a pack of M&Ms and still hit my macros. Macros can also be tailored to suit individual needs. Since I am naturally an endomorph, I do better with lowering carbohydrates. I try to consume around 20% of my calories daily in carb form. Meso and ectomorphs can eat more carbs (30-50%), for instance.

I just plugged my personal stats into MFP, it spat out the calories I need to take in to meet my goals, then I input the percentages of each macro that I wanted every day (50% protein, 30% fat, 20% carbs for me personally). It's been way easier for me to stay on track this way. However, as was replied above, it's all about sustainability. Just find something that works for you that you think you can adapt into your lifestyle.

I eat a looooooot of meat, as well as eggs and egg whites. My kick lately is buying sirloin tip steaks and chicken tenderloins for the week. The grocery store I buy at has a frozen "stir fry blend" so I slice up the steak or chicken, brown it, throw in the blend and 5 minutes later I have my meal(s) for the day. 5 minutes to prep, 10-12 minutes to cook. If you're making multiple meals just weigh out the protein servings first, as the veggies are almost (...almost) insignificant when it comes to macro and calorie counting. I also use protein powder (after workouts) and eat canned tuna.

Typically 1 whole egg and 5 whites, a pound of chicken or lean steak, a scoop or two of protein powder, and a couple cans of tuna get me to my protein goal. I just add in carbs (potatoes, whole wheat cereal with lowfat organic milk, fruit, bagel, oatmeal, whatever I feel like having) and fats (peanut butter, the reduced fat kind, is a good one) to hit my total macro goals for the day. Also, don't kill yourself if they don't add up to be exactly what your goal is. They're more of a round estimate (I try to stay within 15-30 grams of each. Some days I have to sacrifice one at the expense of another), but I always try to hit my calorie goal. Calories are ultimately the most important thing when trying to achieve any weight related goal. MFP is incredibly useful, I just type in the exact name of what I'm eating and it's usually in there. If not, I add it using the info on the nutrition facts. I just do some quick multiplication and division to get the servings to come out correctly.

PS: As an aside since you said you're not really a beef eater, you could add in some egg whites instead. Some days I have the 1 egg 5 whites in the morning and another omelet (1 egg, 6 or 7 whites) with green veggies and mushrooms at night. Probably not advised though if cholesterol is an issue for you.

EDIT: Also, the amount of food required differs person to person and goal to goal. If I want to maintain or gain, that 1 pound of meat could easily become two.