This blog is, for now, suspended. Visit my new one.

Sorry it's been a while folks. I almost forgot this blog til I saw it's the top hit for my name on Google searches.

Anyway, to know what I'm up to these days visit the following sites:

My other blog: One from the Pews

My employer: The Catholic Telegraph

My website: John Stegeman Freelance

Also be advised: The views expressed on this website are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.

In fact, this blog ceased operations long before I worked for my current employer.

Anyways, for now this blog is a thing of the past. On to the future.

Where the heck have I been? Busy.

I got a 100 story-a-month SEO freelance job on the side of my full time employment and that just about owns my free time, and as such, John Stegeman's Blog has been dormant for a while.

So it occurs to me that if anyone has been by my blog who wasn't part of this summer's weight loss challenge, they'd have no idea I ever wrote about anything else. And for some time now I haven't.

Well, now I have. And I don't mean just this post you're reading right now, I mean this one 1fromthepews.blogspot.com. That's my more faith-based blog. This one, I'll keep around for politics, sports, fun randomness, more weight loss challenges etc.

Anyway, someone recently put to me the question, "Who gets to call themselves Catholic?" which I have answered over at 1 from the Pews.

Take care folks and check back every once in a while.

Weight Loss Update: It's all over

BREAKING NEWS!! Dungy has weighed in a 227.6, which is under his 10 percent threshold of 227.7. He is the WINNER of the Weight Loss Challenge.

 Everyone please post their weights anyway to update final standings. Dungy demands as tribute $5 from each participant, which he will use for a celebratory bottle of wine. Details of the party and bowing to come.

Dungy, Lyndsey battling for the win. Weight Loss Challenge Standings

Here are the standings in the WLC....Dungy's victory is close at hand....can anyone stop him?

Lyndsey has the best chance, and after that its a battle for meaningless bronze. Second place is the first loser....Evan is the last loser....or so it seems. A MASSIVE illness, or perhaps amputation, could still propel anyone into the win.

Since it seems most of us cannot win at this point, I use my emperor-like power to create a meaningless tweak to the plan. When we bow to the winner, the person in dead last bows first, and so on. So think about how long you want to kneel, and step it up.

I'm also going to start thinking about the victory party soon so stay tuned for details.

Dungy 3.3 to win
Lyndsey 5.7 to win
John 13.5 to win
Heather 14.5 to win
Matt 14.7 to win
Kelli 16.2 to win
Evan 19.5 to win

Weight Update and all the info you weren't asking for about my table tennis tournament experience.

Post'em here folks.

This weekend I won bronze in the Bluegrass State Games in table tennis for ages 20-29. In essence, that means I'm the third best non-USATT rated player in the state....probably a stretch to say that, but what the hell.

Oh and the other thing is only three people in my age group registered.....and I went 0-2 to win that bronze, but it still counts.

Then in the open championship I made the second round, when my opponent no-showed, before losing to the overall No. 3 seed, though I did lead him 8-6 in one game before losing it.

In actual tournament play, I went 1-3 in matches (ok 0-3, but I want to count the forfeit) and didn't even win a game. I did however get to play an exhibition match against another person in the tournament and I won that 3 games to 1.

Great day, long day. Think I'll take this a little more seriously and start playing at the table tennis club on Saturdays or Sundays.

Anyways, this likely contributed to an AWESOME week of weight loss.

John
Starting: 295
Current: 279
 Pounds: -16
13.5 to win


Someone check my math, but I think that's right.


Anyways Heather also checked in at:

Heather Van Dulman

Starting:275.0
Current: 262.0
Pounds: -13

Monday, July 16 weight loss update and standings

Sorry for the delays lately with these, I'm a busy man. I am going to post the standings as of last week and you all can post your current weights below. If I've figured these right, I'm sadly in dead last.

Alas....here were the standings as of last week.

Dungy 5.2 to win
Lyndsey 8.9 to win
Matt 14.9 to win
Kelli 18.2 to win
Heather 18.5 to win
Evan 19.2 to win
John 19.5 to win

--------------------------



As for me this week, fun story. I went to the Lexington Table Tennis Club on Saturday and got a hardcore 1,000+ calorie burn in. Stepped on the scale at home after a shower, and weighed 280. Then Kelli and I went to a Chinese buffet...and long story short, I was right back to where I started. 24 hours later, I'd lost a half pound...the end.

John
Starting: 295
Current: 284.5
Pounds: -10.5
19 to win




Also, Dungy posted this on the last one (since I'm slow and never put these up before someone comments)


Dungy
Starting: 253
Current: 232.2 (no change)
Pounds: -20.8
5.2 to win


Everyone else, get to it.

Weight updates, is this the final one????

Sorry for the delays kiddies. Will this be the final update? Two people I know of are already within six pounds of the goal, six pounds is a lot for one week but it's not impossible.

I'm back from a great vacation that kept Kelli even and took me further from winning. Here we go.

John
Starting: 295
Current: 285
Pounds: -10
19.5 to win.

Kelli is 227, same as last week.
Starting: 232
Current: 227
Pounds: -5
18.2 to win

Other results posted early/on time were as follows. Everyone else comment.

Lyndsey
Starting: 205
Current: 193.4
Pounds: -11.6
8.9 to win

Matt
Starting: 253
Current: 242.6
Pounds: 10.4
14.9 to win

Dungy
Starting: 253
Current: 232.2
Pounds: -20.8
5.2 to win