H-E-B has named 30 community members and Partners (employees) from across Texas to participate in the sixth annual 2016 Slim Down Showdown presented by Nestle, Johnson & Johnson and the Texas Beef Council. The Showdown is a 12-week contest designed to provide contestants with the education and tools they need to live a healthier lifestyle, and the chance to win cash prizes.
In the Community Contest, 15 contestants were chosen to compete for a Grand Prize of $10,000 and a Healthy Hero prize of $5,000. They will embark on a life-changing journey alongside 15 H-E-B Partners who are eligible for a separate Grand Prize of $10,000 and Healthy Hero prize of $5,000.
Though only 30 are selected for the competition, anyone can follow along from home with the “Slim Down Showdown 6-Week Challenge,” a healthy living challenge hosted by H-E-B in partnership with Under Armour and MyFitnessPal, complete with recipes and workouts. Participants are encouraged to log meals through the MyFitnessPal app to win weekly prizes of either a $100 Under Armour gift card or a Fitbit. A Texas grand prize winner that will receive a $500 Under Armour gift card and H-E-B registered dietitian services for a year. A national grand prize winner will receive a $500 Under Armour gift card and personal training services for a year. Last year, more than 10,000 people signed up for the online challenge and recorded losing more than 28,000 pounds.
In addition, H-E-B is hosting “Resolution Solutions” throughout all stores Jan. 6-19 to provide smart solutions for helping customers keep their healthy New Year’s resolutions. Customers will find various health tips throughout the store and delicious recipes that are less than $5 per serving, under 400 calories and take less than 30 minutes to make.
“The Slim Down Showdown contest changes lives, but our far-reaching goal at H-E-B is to impact millions of Texans, not just those selected for the official contest. That’s why we choose contestants who are open to sharing their journey. We want their success to have a ripple effect in their communities and across the state,” said Kate Rogers, Vice President of Corporate Communication & Health Promotion. “Our effort to reach millions is also why we hire dietitians to work directly with Partners and Customers in our stores, it’s why we focus on developing innovative, healthy products, and it’s why we host an online challenge where everyone can access the same great resources we provide to our official contestants.”
The 15 Slim Down Showdown Community Contestants are:
- Charlotte Melder, Austin
- Zachary House, Dallas
- Darlene Montemarano, Cypress
- Kimberly Revis, Cypress
- Joe Contreras, Bryan
- Carlos De La Garza, New Braunfels
- Meya Acuna, Seguin
- Jennifer Brooklyn, San Antonio
- Gracie Cantu, Alice
- Daniel Prado, Corpus Christi
- Michelle Giles, Harlingen
- Chelsea Childress, Harlingen
- Viky Garcia, Laredo
- Daniel Rangel, Pharr
- Brooke Cortez, College Station
- Shannon Jones, Hutto
- Shandi Meredith, Temple
- Amber Smith, Malakoff
- Willie Aguirre, Castroville
- Jesse Cano, Corpus Christi
- Richard Garcia, Corpus Christi
- Maria Quintanilla, Pearland
- Emmanuel Quiroz Martinez, Pasadena
- Azure Gabriel, Dallas
- Terry Galbraith, San Antonio
- John Pantuso, Victoria
- Claudia Bejarano, Brownsville
- Robert Guerra, Brownsville
- Francisco Ortega, Rio Grande City
- Jabbar Al Tameemi, San Antonio
Earlier this year, H-E-B invited Texans to apply online at heb.com. Contestants were selected based on their willingness and desire to embrace the program, and to publicly share their journey and the resulting lifestyle changes through blogs and vlogs at heb.com/slimdown.
Grand Prize winners are selected based on overall health improvement, participation and fan engagement. Healthy Hero winners demonstrate the most progress on health markers such as body mass index, blood glucose and cholesterol levels.
From Jan. 17-22, all contestants will travel to San Antonio to participate in Fit Camp, an intensive, weeklong wellness program with experts from H-E-B, Methodist Healthcare, Gold’s Gym and the Cooper Aerobics Center. H-E-B manages the contest, including overall nutrition and fitness education.
Once they return home, contestants will receive one-on-one coaching and support from H-E-B’s registered dietitians in addition to their individual meal plans and fitness goals developed during Fit Camp. They also receive a one-year gym membership, courtesy of Gold’s Gym, to help them with their fitness routine. Winners will be announced April 16 at a ceremony at the Henry B. González Convention Center in conjunction with the H-E-B Health & Wellness Family Expo.
The Slim Down Showdown is part of H-E-B Health & Wellness, a comprehensive, long-term commitment to improve the health of Texans. H-E-B aims to inspire Texans to adopt and stick to a healthy lifestyle through special offers on healthy food, nutrition labeling, events, competitions and educational opportunities.
 from across Texas to participate in the sixth annual 2016 Slim Down Showdown presented by Nestle, Johnson & Johnson and the Texas Beef Council. The Showdown is a 12-week contest designed to provide contestants with the education and tools they need to live a healthier lifestyle, and the chance to win cash prizes.){kind=link}