WATERLOO - The past 12 weeks of Dr. Greg Lantz's life can be summed up in two words: then and now. Body weight then, 255 pounds. Now, 205 pounds.

Waist size then, 46 inches. Now, 37 inches.

Percentage of body fat then: 32.3. Now, 20.9.

Lantz beat out 11 other contestants to win the title of Cedar Valley's Biggest Loser. Twelve weeks of grueling workouts and healthy eating led him to victory in the YMCA contest.

"I'm pretty excited," Lantz said. "It's been quite a journey. It's been a mental process, also. I've had to get in the right frame of mind. The bottom line is they wanted every single person to lose weight and change their lifestyle habits to improve their health."

Lantz and fellow contestants set out on their mission in September, at first taking on three tough workouts per week. They were encouraged by YMCA staff to eat six small meals per day instead of three large meals. The workouts increased in frequency and intensity as the weeks wore on.

"Greg was very dedicated to the healthy choices eating plan and working out," said Kortney Lombardi-Hutchens, YMCA wellness director. "He was the ideal contestant, really inspiring the other contestants."

Lantz, a podiatrist with Family Foot Health Care, had to explore different ways of working out because of a hip replacement and arthritis in the other hip. There were some parts of some cardio classes he couldn't do, but instructors were quick to modify exercises for him.

"If he couldn't participate in a class, he was in here every day on a stair stepper," Lombardi-Hutchens said.

Group support was key to his success, Lantz said.

"They just made it fun. It turned into more of a card club than a weight-loss program, which made it easier. I saw other teammates have some up and down weeks, but everybody was there to pump you up."

As Lantz watched the pounds melt away, he "felt like something was finally working, that I had finally found the right combination."

That combination is fueling his drive to lose another 25 pounds. He's confident he'll get there, but acknowledges the small nagging in the back of his mind that wonders if he'll be able to keep it off.

"I'm still pretty driven," Lantz said. "I've got the momentum. But I'm worried about a year from now, or two years from now."

The support of his family will help, he said, and the fact that he's able to do more with his children may be enough incentive to keep up his new, healthy lifestyle.

"I can do things easier, and do more things around the house. But I still won't bungee jump or anything," he said, laughing.

Community sponsors of the contest included the Courier, Mix 96.1, KWWL, ME&V, Montage, Scheels, Scott Bradfield Insurance and Subway.

Contact Meta Hemenway-Forbes at (319) 291-1483 or meta.hemenway-forbes@wcfcourier.com.