H-E-B named three San Antonians among the 30 participants in the grocery chain’s sixth annual Slim Down Showdown, a 12-week weight-loss contest that offers Texans premier access to nutritional and fitness education needed to live a healthier lifestyle and a chance to win cash prizes.
The Slim Down Showdown will offer 15 community members, including Jennifer Brooklyn of San Antonio, a chance to compete for a grand prize of $10,000 and “Healthy Hero” prize of $5,000. Fifteen employees, called “partners,” including Jabbar Al Tameemi and Terry Galbraith of San Antonio, will compete for the same prize amounts in a separate contest for partners.
H-E-B will also open the “Slim Down Showdown 6-Week Challenge” online to the public, to encourage healthy living, eating and a chance to win prizes which include: gift cards, a Fitbit and a year of registered dietician services. In 2015, more than 10,000 people signed up for the online challenge and recorded losing more than 28,000 pounds, according to H-E-B officials.
“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,” stated Kate Rogers, H-E-B’s vice president of Corporate Communication & Health Promotion in a news release. “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.”
The Showdown kicks off at the Éilan Hotel, from Jan. 17-22, with a FitCamp training program for participants before they head home for one-on-one coaching and self-monitoring through My Fitness Pal apps.
Showdown 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 ceremonies are well-attended by cheering friends and family of contestants that get to celebrate their smaller waistlines and healthier lifestyles with a triumphant strut down a fashion show-like runway.
H-E-B will also host “Resolution Solutions” for shoppers who are looking to eat healthier in the new year, offering health tips throughout stores and recipes that are less than $5 per serving, under 400 calories and take less than 30 minutes to make.
According to H-E-B, 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. Click here to view contestant entries and updates as they’re added throughout the contest.
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
The 15 Slim Down Showdown Partner Contestants are:
- Shannon Johnson, 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
*Top Image: Contestants Janie Ramirez (left) and San Antonian David Nungaray (right) work together to create healthy meals in the 2015 Slim down Showdown. Photo by Josh Huskin, courtesy of H-E-B.
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