The Paper Towel Theory

Day 57

The Paper Towel Theory was coined by a fella named Bob White.

Let's say I go out and buy two rolls of paper towels. Each has 365 sheets that resemble each day of my one year journey. I put one roll aside and keep it for future reference. Theoretically, this would be my before picture which you all saw at the beginning of my journey.

The other roll of paper towels represents me (Margar). The core of the paper towels represents the lean Margar. The paper towels themselves represent that fat that is covering lean Margar. Margar wants to lose 100 pounds of fat in one year. Each paper towel resembles approximately a quarter-pound of fat lost. Let's also assume that Margar loses this fat equally during each day of her one year journey.

Each day during the first week, I tear a sheet off the Margar roll, representing the fat I lost for the day. Next, you put Margar next to the full roll (“Big Al”) for comparison. No noticeable difference!!! Even at the end of the week! This can’t be working for me!


But, being a good and diligent Margar, I continue to follow my program. At the end of weeks one, two and four, I continue to compare Margar to Big Al, and still notice very little difference. These stinkin fitness "experts" MUST all be liars!
 But I am determined! I work hard! Three more weeks go by, the sheets peeling off day after day, before I can muster the courage to stand next to Big Al again. Holy Myoplex! I SEE a difference! OK, not skinny, but less huge!!!


By the end of my one year journey, I envision that Margar is down to her lean dream, or somewhere near it. Margar is happy. Big Al – well he’s not so happy. :)


The lesson to be learned is that fat, like paper towels, comes off in sheets. When you are heavy, you are big around. And when you are big around,that fat is spread over a MUCH larger area – just like that outside towel sheet. The closer you get to the lean you, the more each lost pound of fat shows, because it is spread over a smaller area.


While the outside sheet may only cover 1 layer of the roll, the inside sheet may go around 4 times. That last sheet looks like it gives you 4 times the results of the first sheet, but in reality, the results are the same – your perception is just different! And you’ll never see the inside, if you aren’t patient while the outside is coming off!

I hope this theory inspires you as much as it inspired me.

Cheers!
Margaret (aka Margar)