Welcome to the Danger Zone!

[dangerousdon]

As I said...

Welcome to the Danger Zone!

Many of you know me, and others do not. Let me briefly introduce myself. My name is Don. Many of you may know me as dangerousdon. I am veteran of the United States Marine Corps and the Army National Guard. I know...it's an interesting story. During my service, I was deployed to Afghanistan in 2004 - 2005 for about a year (a little more actually). I have had many other very interesting jobs in my life. I was an Intelligence Analyst with the Louisiana State Police where my area of expertise was supporting investigations concerning Human Trafficking and Crimes against Children. Additionally, I was on a Child Abduction Task Force where I supported Federal and Local Agencies. I assisted agencies like the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the US Marshals Service. It was a very rewarding part of my life. Currently, I am an Investigator for the Louisiana Board of Ethics...yes, I have heard all the jokes! I am married...we don't have children yet...or at least none that I know of...

. I have two dogs...a chocolate dapple dachshund named Chauncey (fans of the Detroit Pistons will be happy to know that yes, my Dog was named after Chauncey Billups, Point Guard for the Pistons during the famous 2002-2008 period) and a wonderful lab something mix (I call her a black dog) named Allie...or as I affectionately call her...Allie Monster.

I am primarily a Safety Razor user with my daily shaver being a 1969 Gillette 109 Super Adjustable. I just like the way it shaves. I have other razors...I just gravitate to this one. I tried my hand at a Straight Razor, but I changed jobs and didn't have as much time in the morning as I used to. Reading all the journals...I am thinking of giving it a try again. I have an ever changing preference of soaps...I rarely shave with the same soap consecutive days. I just like variety. I try to match my after shaves in scent notes to the soaps I use...but sometimes I go crazy and pick opposites.

So what is that nonsense about nutrition conspiracies? Yeah, since January I have been on a journey. The past few years I have become what I thought was just generally unhealthy. A lot of bad markers that most of us consider to just be a part of getting older...I couldn't be more wrong. I was 330 pounds at 6'3". I carried it better than most, but had this real large mid section. There were other factors too...high blood pressure, high levels of bad cholesterol, low levels of good cholesterol, insulin resistance, allergies, acid re-flux, plantar fasciitis, tired all the time with absolutely no energy. Every name in the medical book was being thrown at me with each additional visit to the doctor. I was being diagnosed with everything except Type II Diabetes (thank God), but I wasn't very far from it. I knew in the back of my head that if that day ever came when I was Diabetic...that would likely be the end of me. In October of 2017 I went to the doctor with a, not painful, but an interesting sensation. On the right side of my torso where the bottom of my rib cage is, I had this itching sensation. Little did I know (I was never good in Biology) that is the location of my liver. After a couple of blood tests and some imaging...I was diagnosed with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. I was crushed. That was when I decided that I needed to do something. But what? I have tried to loose weight before and tried just about everything under the sun. And guess what...none of them really worked. I went to get my eyes checked one day and the Optometrist and I got on the topic of Diabetes (there is a connection with eyes, so it's not as weird as it seems) and next thing you know, she recommended the Ketogenic Diet. She told me that her and her husband were on it. He has dementia that she is trying to limit the effects of...but she told me of a bunch of other benefits. I decided to research it myself. Reading various medical reviews and scientific studies. I decided that I would give it a try. I started in January...and I haven't looked back. Since then, I have lost 52 pounds, my cholesterol levels are all either normal or just outside the normal levels. My insulin levels and HBA1c have drastically improved. And my Fatty Liver is almost cured. There are a bunch of other things about me that are improved also...but that will come later. Where does the conspiracy stuff come in? Well, there are many things that are counter intuitive about this way of life, so from time to time I might share a nutrition or scientific study with you all. If that part of my Journal does not appeal to you...feel free to skip over it.

Anyway...sorry for the REALLY long post but I want to set the stage. To recap, my journal will be about shaving first, but I will add in things about my health experiences, exercise, my day to day life, and the crazy things that even I might not believe about medicine and nutrition.

I encourage you all to follow along, comment, ask questions, and even disagree if that is your position. You guys are great and I look forward to sharing my shaves and my life to you all!

Beware! You are now entering the DANGER ZONE!

 

[GearNoir]

Great read Don! Thank you for your service and continued work to protect our great land and it’s people.

Really glad to hear you’re taking steps to improve your health! Keep up the good work!

 

[WildWest74]

Great start, Don! So happy to see your journal starting back up.

Congrats on your weight loss journey! I mentioned in Chad's journal that I am the same height as both of you, but at my heaviest I topped out at 360. I have been extremely blessed with excellent body chemistry, because my cholesterol is excellent, as are my blood sugar and liver function. I do suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, and mild hypertension that was triggered by high doses of naproxen following my first hip surgery due to osteoarthritis. I have since had a Birmingham hip resurfacing, and now my major issue is poor cardio due to carrying around so much weight. I tried weight watchers, and got as low as 320, but exercise has been so painful and difficult that I couldn't keep it off. SWMBO and I were both lined up for bariatric surgery back in 2015, but the week after her surgery got scheduled I changed jobs, so I had to postpone mine. She has lost over 130 lbs, and I am finally back in the program. I may be in line for my sleeve gastrectomy in July or August, then the real work begins. Luckily we have one of the best surgeons in the country, and the weight loss program itself is excellent, with lifetime support. I hope to add to the Cadre Success Stories!

 

[dangerousdon]

Great read Don! Thank you for your service and continued work to protect our great land and it’s people.

Really glad to hear you’re taking steps to improve your health! Keep up the good work!

Thanks Chris!

Great start, Don! So happy to see your journal starting back up.

Congrats on your weight loss journey! I mentioned in Chad's journal that I am the same height as both of you, but at my heaviest I topped out at 360. I have been extremely blessed with excellent body chemistry, because my cholesterol is excellent, as are my blood sugar and liver function. I do suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, and mild hypertension that was triggered by high doses of naproxen following my first hip surgery due to osteoarthritis. I have since had a Birmingham hip resurfacing, and now my major issue is poor cardio due to carrying around so much weight. I tried weight watchers, and got as low as 320, but exercise has been so painful and difficult that I couldn't keep it off. SWMBO and I were both lined up for bariatric surgery back in 2015, but the week after her surgery got scheduled I changed jobs, so I had to postpone mine. She has lost over 130 lbs, and I am finally back in the program. I may be in line for my sleeve gastrectomy in July or August, then the real work begins. Luckily we have one of the best surgeons in the country, and the weight loss program itself is excellent, with lifetime support. I hope to add to the Cadre Success Stories!

Glad to see you taking charge of your life Jim! We all have to find our own ways because as much as human biology is the same...we are all very different in our metabolic processes. I would encourage you to look into a low carb diet first...but to be honest it sounds like you are getting good care. Again...glad to hear that you and the wife are getting healthy!

 

[Smattayu]

Welcome to the journals Don! Congrats on the weight loss and overall health improvement. A friend of mine was on the keto diet, and did extremely well with it.

 

[Dagwoodz]

Great introductory post to your journal, Don! Congrats on the weight loss and long may it continue to improved health and well-being!

 

[dkeester]

Great write-up, Don. Congrats on the weight loss. I wish you continued success and ever improving health.

 

[cmh737]

Glad to see you here, Don. And great job on becoming healthier!

 

[CVargo]

Nice journal intro. The Keto diet has intrigued me, I definitely limit my carbs but am not or ever plan on being in ketosis not that i'm against but mainly because like you said each body is different and there are certain things I would prefer to not give up such as many fruits and veggies. The good thing about the keto diet is that a LOT of people are questioning health and what we have been spoon fed by "experts" and people are starting to make healthier choices.

 

[McVeyMac]

Great first post in TSC Don. I did the Atkins diet in the early 2,000s, and it was very effective. I also took up cycling at the time, and I weighed a lot less than I do now. Unfortunately, my cholesterol went way high, an unusual result, but not unheard of. Good luck with it, and hope your weight continues to come off as your health improves.

 

[dangerousdon]

Welcome to the journals Don! Congrats on the weight loss and overall health improvement. A friend of mine was on the keto diet, and did extremely well with it.

It deffinitely works in my opinion!

Great introductory post to your journal, Don! Congrats on the weight loss and long may it continue to improved health and well-being!

Thanks! Losing weight is great...but it's the getting healthy part that's the best!

Great write-up, Don. Congrats on the weight loss. I wish you continued success and ever improving health.

Thanks!

Glad to see you here, Don. And great job on becoming healthier!

I'm glad to be here!

Nice journal intro. The Keto diet has intrigued me, I definitely limit my carbs but am not or ever plan on being in ketosis not that i'm against but mainly because like you said each body is different and there are certain things I would prefer to not give up such as many fruits and veggies. The good thing about the keto diet is that a LOT of people are questioning health and what we have been spoon fed by "experts" and people are starting to make healthier choices.

Thanks Chad! I don't think the the Ketogenic Diet is the only way. I just think it is the way for me. I do think forms of Low Carb diets or way s of eating are the way to go...specifically limiting grains and sugar. But each person has to choose the path that they can stay on. A big factor into me choosing Keto was my insulin resistance and fatty liver disease. If some one has Type II Diabetes or Metobolic Syndrome...I HIGHLY recommend looking into a version of a low carb diet. There is a lot of REAL science coming out about this now. And yes Chad...a lot of people are questioning what we have been told by the experts. I think that is a good thing.

Great first post in TSC Don. I did the Atkins diet in the early 2,000s, and it was very effective. I also took up cycling at the time, and I weighed a lot less than I do now. Unfortunately, my cholesterol went way high, an unusual result, but not unheard of. Good luck with it, and hope your weight continues to come off as your health improves.

Yeah, the cholesterol thing is sometimes is strange. But most doctors now have done 180s on their stance of cholesterol from 10,15, 20 years ago. Most medical professionals know that Total Cholesterol mean absolutely nothing now. It is widley accepted that a Triglyceride to HDL Ratio is a much better indicator of health...more specifically of heart disease. Ideally you want a 2:1 Triglyceride to HDL ratio or lower. 3:5 is acceptable but the bigger the ratio...the more risk. Even LDL (usually identified as bad cholesterol) isn't quite as understood as we once thought. LDL is now (you usually have to ask for it...your Doc likely won't just do it) measured in sub-fractions. Through what is called an NMR Lipoprofile, medical professionals can now measure how much of what type of LDL particles you have. There are the small dense type and the light and fluffy LDL particles. Typically it is thought that if you have a lot of the small dense LDL you are at higher risk. But even that is up in the air depending on who you talk to. Then there is the variable of metabolic output. What does too much or not enough men to someone who is on a standard American Diet versus a low carb diet. Much of Cholesterol is demand driven. So maybe certain people require more or less LDL or another type of cholesterol. After all...every cell in our body has cholesterol...and without it we wouldn't be able to function. Also 25% of our brain is made up of cholesterol. So there is that. Anyway...Thanks Walt! Sorry for the long reply...I go off on tangents sometimes.

 

[McVeyMac]

I was on statins for a while Don. I have since gone off of them, not because my total cholesterol is where it needs to be, but mainly because when I was put on them in the mid 2,000s, the data suggested that statins do lower cholesterol, but there was no data suggesting that they prolonged life. In essence, they had no effect on lifespan. This tells me that either cholesterol does not effect heart disease in the way that the medical community thought, or the damage caused by the statins counteracted the positive results of lowering the high cholesterol making it a wash. The way I look at it, it is cheaper to die of natural causes without drugs if I am going to die at the same time with them.

 

[dangerousdon]

Razor: 1962 Gillette Slim Adjustable
Blade: Polsilver SI (New Blade)
Soap/cream: Sudsy Soapery Lavender & Peppermint
Brush: Rudy Vey Shavemac Silver Tip Two Band Badger
Aftershave: Thayers Coconut Water Witch Hazel
After the Aftershave: Fine Lavender Pour Homme
Other Gear: Captain's Choice "Tempest" Shaving Bowl


The shave today was familiar and different all the same. It was familiar because I love using SS products and the Fine Lavender Pour Home is favorite of mine...okay really all the Fine scents are my favorites. The Rudy Vey Brush has really elevated my shaving but I have been using it for about a year now. What is new about today's shave is first of all, I don't really bowl lather that much...but I have been doing it more and more lately. The razor...well now that is a different story. I have had this Slim for about a year now. I picked it up at a junk store in Pennsylvania. It is in really good shape. No plating loss, numbers are all painted, came with an un-cracked case with blade sleeve...it really was a great find as unadulterated razors are becoming harder and harder to find. I am not going to say that this was such a great buy...but so much cheaper than a razor in this condition found on auction sites. So what is so new about the razor? Well, oddly enough this is my first shave with it...in fact it's my first shave with a Slim ever. I don't have a good reason for not shaving with it, I just haven't. I have another slim...but it has a bent bar and I haven't had it fixed yet. That one is not in as good of condition either.

Anyway, as expected, this soap lathers exceptionally well. I know it's not a tallow based soap...but man it works well...probably better than most tallow or other animal fat soaps. If I had to guess, it probably has to do with the lanolin they use. I have lately only been doing two pass shaves, because to be honest, I don't think it's a big enough difference. I usually reserve three pass shaves for those days I want to spend extra time on myself or for special occasions. Today is three pass shave...more on that later.

The Slim worked exceptionally well. And I think it might actually beat out my go to in performance. I usually use a
1969 Gillette 109 Super Adjustable...the notorious "Black Beauty." But the weight of the Slim seems to fit me better, despite the slightly shorter handle. I used the number five setting and all was well with the world.

After I had finished shaving...I went ahead and applied left over lather to my face and neck and really rubbed it in. I have been in the habit of doing this with soaps that have exceptional moisturizing qualities. It's worked well for me so far. Rinsed my face...hot water, then cool. Applied my Thayers Coconut Water Witch Hazel...cleaned my gear and shave space, and then applied the Fine Aftershave.

I ended up with a BBS on the face and better than a DFS on the neck. Which is usually about the best shave I get. I don't typically chase a BBS or Grail shave...I just enjoy my process and what happens happens!

The Danger Zone...

Today My niece graduates high school today, hence the three pass shave. It's really weird because I still don't see here as a teenager, but I still see her as a little girl that I used to wrastle with...yes I meant to say wrastle. But I guess, such is life...man do i feel like I am getting old.

2018 is the year that I get healthy in all respects...not just my physical health. I have been doing a lot of reading and listening to podcasts lately and I have decided that to get healthy, there are at least four aspects to life that needs to be focused on: Nutrition, Movement, Stress, Sleep. I know I could add Spirituality to that list also, but I am constantly in battle with myself in this area...believe it or not...spiritually, I am way better off now than I used to be...but I am constantly working on that anyway. My wife's job is a very stressful one, and we have been trying to find ways for her to relieve it. On Wednesdays she has been going to a yoga studio and doing breathing exercises and meditation. It has seemed to help her out tremendously and she really likes it. I have known that there are positives to meditation and yoga...but there have been actual scientific and medical studies on it. If you want to know more check out this link from the Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858 The thing is, meditation doesn't have to be yoga, or repeating mantras...it can be spending time in prayer or even as simple as just taking 10 minutes a day and focus on deep breaths and oxygen exchange in your lungs. Anyway, I went and I liked it. It's a little hard to explain, but I found myself drifting, not to sleep, but to...somewhere else. The hour went by and I seriously thought it had been only 20 minutes. But I found myself forgetting all about the world and stresses of the past week. I will likely go again. Maybe not every week, but when I need a recharge.

I just finished reading a book called "The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet," by Nina Teicholz. The book has been an international best seller, was considered one of the best books by The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Mother Jones, and Library Journal in 2014. Several medical journals have featured it also. Ms. Teicholz is an investigative science journalist that is well published in the BMJ, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Atlantic, Independent, New Yorker, and Los Angeles Times. I say all of this because I want to stress that this is a well respected and REAL journalist. Her book is heavily cited and backed up. Anyway, it's a bit of a history and expose on the really bad science behind our nutritional guidelines and how science had very little to do with how we eat and perceive food. This isn't a dry and boring book. While some of it gets a little technical...most of it is written in lay terms. Hell, if I can read it...I am sure most people can. Anyway, it really changed the way i think about things.

As an aside, if anyone is interested in reading the book, let me know and I am willing to send you the copy (limited to US, APO, FPO, and like addresses...sorry my international friends). If I get the book back, great...if I don't oh well. All I ask is if you don't send it back, that you pass it on to another interested reader.

I am off of work today so I thought I would write a longer post. I promise that not all of mine will be this lengthy.

Have a wonderful day ladies and Gents!

 

[dangerousdon]

I was on statins for a while Don. I have since gone off of them, not because my total cholesterol is where it needs to be, but mainly because when I was put on them in the mid 2,000s, the data suggested that statins do lower cholesterol, but there was no data suggesting that they prolonged life. In essence, they had no effect on lifespan. This tells me that either cholesterol does not effect heart disease in the way that the medical community thought, or the damage caused by the statins counteracted the positive results of lowering the high cholesterol making it a wash. The way I look at it, it is cheaper to die of natural causes without drugs if I am going to die at the same time with them.

Good for you Walt for getting off of the Statins! I will try to talk a little about those in the upcoming days...but those things are bad news. There is a use for them...but it really should be one of those last resort type things! In a nutshell, I read one report that said that there is a 46% increased relative risk of a person developing Type II Diabetes with prolonged use of statins. I know this is just a relative risk, and there are a lot of variables in there...but it's still scary. I read another report just a week or two ago where there is a significant statistical risk of a person developing ALS with prolonged use of statins. I will dig up these studies in the up coming days to show that these are real things and not something that I just heard or made up.

 

[GearNoir]

Great musings Don. You’re on a unique path, I pray it takes you to a fantastic destination! I’m also of the opinion that spiritual health matters just as much as the physical, mental, and emotional. Keep searching!

Congrats on breaking the Slim too! They are fine shavers indeed!

 

[dkeester]

Great shave and pic. I am glad that the Slim is a winner.

Thanks for the book recommendation.

 

[Dagwoodz]

Great write up Don. Really enjoying the reflections on health and well being!

 

[Spider]

Welcome Don!

As Don already knows, I am also on the Keto "way of eating".... I don't like to call it a diet, because the things I'm allowed, nay, expected to eat you can hardly consider limiting or "diet food".

I started in March, and although I'm coming off a small stall, I have lost about 20 pounds, and is the first time I've been under 200 pounds in about 15 years. I love this way of eating. I have more energy, and I don't ever get hungry before mealtime. I never need to snack. It's just great. I feel my body changing in good ways, and I get compliments from people saying they notice I'm looking better. That feels really good.

It's a little hard to explain, but I found myself drifting, not to sleep, but to...somewhere else. The hour went by and I seriously thought it had been only 20 minutes. But I found myself forgetting all about the world and stresses of the past week. I will likely go again. Maybe not every week, but when I need a recharge.

Don, meditation is a big part of my "spirituality". Although I don't do it as much as I'd like. It is really easy to do at home. You can find some guided mediations online to use, or like you said, just sit and focus on your breathing. Anything helps, an it's really amazing the power meditation has to de-stress your mind and calm your whole body. I introduced my girlfriend to it, as her job is much more stressful than mine, and she does it more often than I do. She loves it!

I just finished reading a book called "The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet," by Nina Teicholz.............

As an aside, if anyone is interested in reading the book, let me know and I am willing to send you the copy

I've had my eye on that book. And I'd like to read it eventually. However, I'm currently reading (just started, actually), "Keto Clarity, Your definitive guide to the benefits of a low-carb, high fat diet" by Jimmy Moore. It was recommended to me by one of the Keto Coaches on a FB group. And since I'm a notoriously slow reader, It'll probably take me a while to get through it.

 

[cmh737]

It's good to see you taking charge of your health, Don. I'll add that another thing we Americans have abandoned in the past few decades, in the culinary arena that is, is the practice of "moderation". We "super-size" everything now. As an example of how much more we eat, my wife gave an example. She was watching one of those house hunting/renovation type shows, and the couple bought a house built in the 50's. They couldn't get their plates to fit in the cabinets because the plates nowadays are so much bigger than they were back then!

 

[CVargo]

Great stuff Don. And as to the relaxing piece. Not sure if either of you wear a FitBit but I love the relax feature on mine. It measures your breathing and does a quick 10 min exercise. I do it at least twice a day.