Hi HollySan,
I'm not on Atkins per se, I've sort of developed my own plan. I was going to buy an Atkins or similar book that would work for my husband and I, but we went looking in Quebec where my hubby's family lives and I wasn't able to find any of these books there - low carb doesn't seem to be popular in Quebec, they love their bread and pasta there lol. We were going to look when we came back home (a medium-sized town just over the Ontario border), but we realized we were doing pretty well on our own. However, if we do run into a snag I will definitely go book shopping.
I usually post my day's meals on my journal, but just to give you an idea I try to keep my saturated fat low and my trans fat non-existent. I tend to get most of my fat from olive oil, mayo, cream sauce I make at home (very low carb and very tasty!), butter, and medium-chain triglycerides, which I have in the form of an oil as well as a virgin coconut oil. I add these to 3 of my meals per day (often I have small snacks to keep me going - I try to eat small amounts throughout the day to boost my metabolism). The reason is that medium-chain triglycerides are a very fast-burning fat, so I get my fat intake and, according to what I've read about it, often it takes fat with it that you already have stored. I get the green poo thing too, I chalk that up to eating so many veggies.
And I agree with you about having red wine and having fun socially, just remember to keep yourself in check. Wine, even the dry kind, does contain at least trace amounts of sugar and that can stall your progress. It's very hard around the holidays when you are surrounded by friends and family who want to partake in the Christmas "spirits." But not everyone metabolizes alcohol in the same way. Also, just remember that this and the food are what cause people to pack on the pounds during the holidays. The two most common New Year's Resolutions in the states are to quit smoking and to lose weight/get in shape. The second one usually has a lot to do with how we spend the holidays.
So my advice is just to keep those things in mind.
As far as not losing as fast as you like, I say - don't rush it! It may be the wine, it may be too many saturated or trans fats, or it may just be your metabolism. Everyone's body is different, and everyone loses weight at different speeds. Sometimes it's related to our age or our hormone levels, whether or not we've had kids, or sometimes maybe your body is just stubborn. Remember the important thing is you
are losing, and that's always a better sign than gaining. Don't compare yourself to others' loss because they are them, and you are you. You will get there at your own pace. I know it's frustrating, but try to be patient and be proud of the weight you've lost. I think a lot of diet failures come from our expectations being too high and then getting discouraged when we don't see the results we expected. I think you have to accept every pound loss as a victory. Keep at it and be strong, and you will get there.