Not boring at all
Do what you feel is best for you. If you're going to count calories I would definitely recommend My Fitness Pal. After trying lots of websites and apps where you can calorie count, I find this is the best one. You can use it on your laptop or as an app on your phone too
Sorry I don't think I'll be any help with diets. I am on Xenical, a diet pill, and so I limit my fat intake per meal, I drink lots of water, I eat as much fruit and veg as I can and I rarely snack but if I do then I snack on fruit. Making small changes with your diet can benefit you a lot.
Good luck, Merry Christmas and I hope you lose all the weight you want to lose in 2013