As Andrew noted, the secret is peddling faster vs pushing harder.
That said, 49/14 is not a very high high. Most road bikes today top out with a 53/11 or 12, so your ideas aren't unreasonable.
You don't need to worry about the change because you'll still have gears comparable to what you have now. Just make sure you'll still have what you need at the low end.
Be sure to budget for a new chain when you make the changes.