INUVIK - Of all the sacrifices Darelene Burden will make to ensure she loses 45 pounds, she fears one in particular.

"Bread. I'll miss bread," she said with a laugh. "I could live on bread."

Renee Morey, left, offers her good friend Darelene Burden some support as she struggles to come to terms with her weight at the hospital on Tuesday. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

But Burden said it's come to the point where she must get serious about weight loss.

"I was a size five when I first got here 11 years ago, and I was 105 pounds. I'm a 154-and-a-half pounds now. There's no need of me having this weight on."

She won't be tackling her weight loss battle alone, either. Over Christmas, Burden decided to resurrect Inuvik's Biggest Loser program, which brings people of different ages and sexes together with the aim of shedding pounds.

She's managed to recruit 12 residents also determined to get slim. The idea, she said, is that everyone works as a team to try to achieve their natural body weight through a healthy, achievable process.

"It's about helping and learning from each other," said Burden who's volunteering to head the program. "It's like a puzzle to weight loss. I have certain pieces of the puzzle but I have so many missing parts, that's where the other members of the group come in."

The program, which stretches throughout the year into four three-month phases, started last Wednesday evening when participants met at the hospital's multi-purpose room for their first weigh in. They'll meet there every Wednesday for two-hour classroom sessions.

Each phase costs $30 to complete, $25 of which will be used for prize money for the person who drops the most pounds. The other $5 pays for course material, including a popular diet program resource book titled Craving Change, loaded with everything from a how-to guide for changing eating behaviour to numerous activity workshops. Burden, who purchased the books along with the corresponding teaching manual, said she's sure people will be excited about the material.

Not only will the program boast plenty of weight loss, fitness and healthy eating tips, participants will get some hands-on practice learning to make healthy meals such as honey-soy broiled salmon and spicy pecan-crusted chicken. Inuvik nutritionist Beth Oehler will teach a few cooking classes at Samuel Hearne Secondary School's kitchen.

Renee Morey said she plans to join the program in April after she gives birth to her baby. She encouraged Burden to organize it, realizing most people need a support group while they battle the bulge.

"It's a great way to get together with people because it's so hard to do it on your own," said Morey, who hopes to lose 20 to 30 pounds in the program. "It's great to know that people are behind you and are going through the same thing."

For Burden it's about maintaining a healthy lifestyle for many years to come.

"I'm getting older and I'd like to be healthy in my elder years so I can have a healthier retirement," she said.

Even if slimming down might make her look better than ever, she has no plans of leaving her beloved husband behind.

"No I could never do that. He's the love of my life. He's a big teddy bear," said Burden with a laugh.