H-E-B Launches 2017 Slim Down Showdown

San Antonio-based grocer H-E-B is bringing back its Slim Down Showdown, a 12-week fitness competition in which participants compete for a $10,000 grand prize.

The 2017 showdown begins Jan. 10 with an intensive seven-day wellness program known as Fit Camp that involves fitness and nutrition training, cooking classes, meal training and more. Upon returning home, contestants receive coaching and support from H-E-B’s registered dietitians, past contestants and wellness coaches. At the halfway point, contestants return to San Antonio for two days to receive a midpoint screening and reconnect with their personal fitness and nutrition experts to receive additional hands-on cooking, meal planning and fitness training.

Winners of the 2017 Slim Down Showdown will be announced during a grand finale celebration in San Antonio on April 1. To date, 185 contestants have lost more than 4,000 pounds while participating in the competition, and many have gone on to lose even more after it ended.

Anyone can follow along via the Slim Down Showdown page, which is home to contestant blogs, dietitian blogs and the competition's weekly recipes and workouts. The page also shares information about the contest’s 2016 winners and their stories.

The Slim Down Showdown’s origins lie in a 2010 commitment by H-E-B to help its employees become healthier and live longer – a promise it then extended to its customers and communities it serves two years later.