John B. Lent

124 Vineyard Avenue

Highland, NY 12528

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Mr. Chris Sinta

Director of Consumer Promotions and Sponsorships

ConAgra Foods

215 W. Diehl Rd

Naperville, IL 60563

Re: Sponsorship Request

Dear Mr. Sinta:

The ConAgra Foods website directed me to you in order to get more information

regarding sponsoring me for the upcoming New York City Half Marathon on March 17,

2013.1 This will be my first time running a half marathon, so to get ready, I have been

training with my father (age 55) and the experience has been life changing – he didn’t

live with me during my childhood, and now that I’m married and living in my own

home, we are taking advantage of the time we have left to build a bond we never could

before. We are running on behalf of the Organization for Autism Research. On my

fundraising website I have already been able to raise $271 towards my $1,000 goal.2

In addition to physical training to get ready, it has been essential for me to lose quite a

bit of weight before I could hope to finish the grueling 13.1 mile run. I am 6’ tall and

when I started training on December 26, 2012, I weighed in at 232 lbs. In order for me

to be at a healthy body mass, I need to get down to the 191lb range. So that means I

needed to lose 40 pounds in 81 days, or just about one pound every two days.

To accomplish this by-no-means simple task, I have taken an unusual approach to say

the least. In order to maintain the electrolytes (sodium and potassium) my body needs

for long-distance running, as well as create a substantial caloric differential, while still

eating a healthy balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates, since December 26 my only

meals have been three cans of Chef Boyardee pasta per day. 3

The results of this rather unusual diet have been impressive to say the least. It has been

30 days and I have lost 19.6 pounds! As of today, I weighed in at 212.4 pounds. This 1 For more information on the marathon, visit http://www.nyrr.org/races-and-events/2013/nyc-half

2 http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/JohnLent/2013-nyc-half-marathon

3 In addition to maintain a good nutrient level, I take one daily multivitamin and I make sure to include a calcium

source as well, such as three Tums or two cups of Calorie Countdown dairy beverages. I also have a healthy snack if

I find myself experiencing hunger in between meals, such as a quarter cup of granola.

puts me ahead of my weight loss goals by over a week and I feel fantastic. I have not

experienced any serious cravings, my blood pressure is generally in the 115/75 range and

I have been very regular so far as elimination is concerned. In short, I am healthier

today than I have been in almost a decade. And I owe it all to Chef Boyardee!

I intend to maintain this diet until at least the day of the marathon, and see where I am

in terms of overall health after the big day – it may well be that my metabolic needs will

have changed at that point, so I would need to alter my intake somewhat. But for at

least the next two months, I am exclusively a Chef Boyardee man.

I have attached to this letter a report from MyFitnessPal4, the online service where I

track all of my food and exercise. In addition, I have printed some screen captures of

the message boards on that site where users have been discussing my unusual diet and

the topic has gotten a lot of attention. If in just thirty days, and with basically no budget

for marketing, it is drawing this kind of notice, I imagine that the marketing team at

ConAgra could really capitalize on my success as it continues. Jared Fogle, the Subway

diet spokesman comes to mind when I think about the positive image this could create

for a food that has traditionally been associated with high sodium the corresponding

issues of heart disease and high blood pressure.

I have also included with this letter a current before and after picture, showing my

progress at the thirty day mark. I expect it will be even more impressive as the

marathon date approaches, and I would be happy to share my progress updates with

ConAgra so that your company can keep an eye on how things are moving forward.

I hope that this letter has piqued your interest and that you will consider sponsoring me

in the aforementioned NYC Half Marathon. Raising money for the Organization for

Autism Research is one of the most noble causes I can imagine – 1:88 children in the

USA are on the autism spectrum, and finding practical solutions to the challenges

autistic individuals face is going to be essential as these kids struggle to transition into

becoming productive adults.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Very truly yours,

John B. Lent

4 http://www.myfitnesspal.com/johnlent

I started officially training for

the NYC Half Marathon the first

week of the new year. The

calories burned chart shows

the impact of my progressively

more intense 4-day per week

exercise schedule. As the race

approaches the total weekly

mileage will gradually increase

until my body is ready to run 13

miles.

A 2011 study published in the Archives of

Internal Medicine strongly suggested that

keeping the ratio of Potassium to Sodium

even has a substantial impact on reducing

cardiovascular illness and hypertension.

Maintaining high levels of sodium also

helps prevent muscle soreness and

cramps. Three cans of Chef Boyardee

has more sodium than 9 bananas!

To lose weight you must

more calories than you tak

The net calories chart

shows that on a non

my intake is roughly 1500 calories

per day

Chef Boyardee

sedentary office job, a normal day

for me at the start of this program

meant I would burn about 2,440

calories on a typical day.

Unlike most diets, this one is

intentionally high in sodium.

Each day my average

consumption is about

4,250mgs. For runners, unlike

non-athletes, the

recommended daily sodium

intake is 3,000

day. See “Salt & Runners” by

Nancy Clark MS, RD, 2005.

To lose weight you must burn

ore calories than you take in.

The net calories chart at right

shows that on a non-workout day,

my intake is roughly 1500 calories

(500 calories per can of

Chef Boyardee. Since I have a

sedentary office job, a normal day

for me at the start of this program

meant I would burn about 2,440

calories on a typical day.

Unlike most diets, this one is

intentionally high in sodium.

Each day my average

consumption is about

4,250mgs. For runners, unlike

athletes, the

recommended daily sodium

intake is 3,000-5,000mgs per

day. See “Salt & Runners” by

Nancy Clark MS, RD, 2005.

Weight Loss Progress

As you can tell from this progress chart, the results to date have been impressive. As of

today’s weigh in I am actually at 212.4 pounds, almost 20 pounds from where I began

just one month ago.

Before (December 26, 2012) AfterAfter (January 26, 2013)

Before (December 26, 2012)Before (December 26, 2012) After (January 26, 2013

January 26, 2013)