I think DK said it perfectly really. There seem to be one or two people who can take the odd day off or survive a binge and still lose and that can make it feel like we all can.
The truth is that for most of us a day off = up to a couple of weeks of gaining and staying the same. By which time we might be demotivated enough to slip off the wagon again. Atkins does work but it does have to be treated as a strict strict diet - no slips.
If you're at a point where you feel you need an easier life with a few treats, I'd suggest slimming world red days. They're moderately low carb but you're allowed a couple of carby items, like alpen bars or eholemeal bread every day, and then you have a 'syn' allowance for little extras. I've read up on it and it looks like a good option for people who need to avoid simple carbs but can't do hardcore Atkins.
You're right, you do lose slower, though. There is a sacrifice involved either way - you do a diet like Atkins where falling off the wagon really isn't allowable but if you manage to stay on you can pull in decent losses, or you do a more flexible one with slower losses.
In the end it's up to you to decide what you can cope with right now. If Atkins is too much to cope with and us sending you back into bad eating habits, maybe you should try another option. 1lb a week is still a loss, not a gain, and some people do lose more. You can always come back and give it another go when your head's in the right place. Xx