Did last years New Years resolutions stick?

By Yvette d'Entremont
The Weekly News
Lose weight, quit smoking, exercise regularly, be happier, enjoy your children more, volunteer for a worthwhile cause, or learn something new.
These are among the more popular New Year's resolutions made in the waning hours of Dec. 31 and wee hours of Jan. 1. But how often do people live up to those resolutions?
Last year, The Weekly News featured a handful of residents who committed to a New Year's resolution. We managed to track down three of the four to find out how they fared.
One woman who had resolved to learn ballroom dancing declined an interview because she and her dance partner were no longer together. Her friend assured us, however, that she continues to dance.
Fall River resident Elaine Gray told The Weekly News last year that her resolution was to lose 20 pounds overall. Prior to Christmas in 2007, she joined Body Zone in Fall River and enlisted the help of a personal trainer.
Reached via telephone last week, Gray laughed when asked about how her resolution had worked out.
"I didn't lose my weight, but I ended up healthier and am still going to the gym," she said.
When asked if she had made any new resolutions for 2009, Gray said she had decided against making any clear-cut resolutions 'per se.'
"I think I'll just stick with the same old, same old," she said. "It (losing weight) seems to be something a lot of people work at."
My brother Chris d'Entremont was also featured when he decided to stop smoking last Jan. 1. But he said that unfortunately, that resolution only lasted for about three months.
"Stress made me go back to it. I was able to cut back a bit in terms of how much I smoke now compared with last year," he said.
"Will I quit this year? I'm not doing it as a New Year's resolution because they don't work anyway. I don't know what will work, but I'll figure that out when I get to it."
ydentremont@hfxnews.ca