N.S. premier down two suit sizes. What’s his secret?

If you’ve been thinking Premier Darrell Dexter has been looking a little more svelte these days, it’s because he is.

Dexter is down two suit sizes.

What’s his weight loss secret? The premier is crediting a nutrition planning program run by the Capital District Health Authority.

“It was actually my wife who signed up for the program and I kind of went along with it,” said Dexter, who admits the weight didn’t come off overnight.

“We started it quite a long time ago and it’s only after awhile, because it’s kind of a change in the whole approach that you have, it’s not something that happens overnight. You lose weight over a long period of time.”

Dexter says the program focuses on nutrition management and portion control.

“For me, the important thing is, that for example, I played in the Grand Masters Tournament this year and my knees didn’t kill me for a week afterwards, so that’s an obvious benefit.”

Capital Health has two community health teams – one in Dartmouth and the other in the Chebucto/Sambro Loop area – that deliver nutrition and weight management programs. If you live, work or have a doctor in either of those communities, you are eligible.

Wellness facilitator Jacklynn Humphrey with the Dartmouth Community Health Team says everything they offer is free and participants don’t need a referral.

Humphrey says the programs range from a four-week healthy weight series to drop-in sessions.

“We have one that’s called ‘Craving Change,’ which looks not so much at what to eat, but why we eat the things we do, why do we crave sweets, what are strategies that we can put in place when we’re getting these cravings for maybe not so healthy foods or large quantities or foods that are very high in calories and those types of things,” said Humphrey.

“A lot of our folks that are working towards a healthier weight, they’ll come in to visit us once a month, come and get weighed, some of them will have their waist circumference measured…”

Humphrey says they have a lot of success stories that are usually coupled with people also signing up for physical activity programs.