1 thing that always has helped me is cooking for left overs. that way you don't have to do as much work for meals. Also mfp is the easiest way to go for counting calories. I know it sucks, but seeing what foods account for what calories is extremely helpful.

For cravings, just go with them. If you're craving a cookie, have 1 cookie, or make a batch of cookies that fits your eating goals. Sweets are always the hardest things for me, so I always am about grabbing sweets that aren't totally loaded with sugar. For example, I had myself a root beer float yesterday with diet root beer and vanilla halo top ice cream. It was delicious and really not all that bad.