'The Biggest Loser' cuts Brendan Donovan and Mark Pinhasovich

The Biggest Loser eliminated Brendan Donovan and Mark Pinhasovich during Tuesday night's broadcast of the NBC reality weight-loss competition's eleventh tenth-season episode.


"The silver lining is that no matter what people think about me -- whether they think I'm a gameplayer or they think I'm an awesome person, whether they think I'm a jerk -- I've lost 102 pounds here in 11 weeks man. That's unbelievable," Brendan said following his ouster. "Yeah, I didn't make it to the end, but I've changed so much emotionally and mentally, physically, and I will never ever go back to that painful time of the last few years. I will never ever do it, and that's a promise."

"Being on The Biggest Loser has been the experience of a lifetime. Life at 421 pounds was not great. I felt that was me at the time, I didn't feel like I was a skinny guy trapped in a fat body, no, I was a fat guy in a fat body," Mark explained following his elimination. "I thought that was it, that that was life had to offer. And I found just how hard I can push myself, and I like it. I'm back and I'm back to stay. No doubt in my mind, I'm back to stay."

Brendan, a 32-year-old special education teacher from Boston, MA, was automatically eliminated from the competition after he finished with the lowest weight-loss percentage at the week's weigh-in, which featured the six remaining contestants weighing-in individually, while Mark, a 31-year-old bartender and recruiter from East Brunswick, NJ, was voted off the ranch for posting one of the other lowest weight-loss percentages.

The contestants participated in the weigh-in after competing in an earlier challenge in which they were required to wear weights equivalent to every pound they lost on the ranch while completing 500 step-ups. At each 100 step-up milestone, they were able to remove the weight that represented the pounds they had lost at each of their first five The Biggest Loser weigh-ins.


Following the step-ups, they then had to run one mile stopping at four checkpoints where they dropped the weight they had lost at their four subsequent weigh-ins.

Ada Wong ended up being the first contestant to shed all the weights, winning her a one-pound advantage at the competition's next weigh-in and a $25,000 home gym.

At the weigh-in, The Biggest Loser host Alison Sweeney announced that two contestants would be going home. The one individual to lose the least weight would fall below the red weigh-in line and be immediately eliminated, while two other contestants with the next lowest weight-loss percentages would fall below the yellow weigh-in line, forcing the safe contestants to vote one of them off the ranch.

Ada, a 27-year-old high-tech company project coordinator from San Francisco, CA, started off the week weighing 185 pounds and lost six pounds, dropping to 179 pounds and giving her a 3.78% weight-loss percentage with the one pound advantage.

Elizabeth Ruiz, a 31-year-old medical assistant from Lawrence, MA, went from 196 pounds to 192, losing four pounds and posting a 2.04% weight-loss percentage at the weigh-in.


Mark lost seven pounds at the weigh-in, dropping from 299 to 292 pounds, and he posted a 2.34% weight-loss percentage.

Patrick House, a 28-year-old sales representative from Vicksburg, MS, started off the week at 291 pounds and slimmed down to 279 pounds, losing 12 pounds and posting a 4.12% weight-loss percentage. His safety was guaranteed as his weight-loss put him above the yellow line -- as he needed to lose more than 11 pounds. His success also forced Elizabeth below the yellow line and in danger of elimination.

Alfredo "Frado" Dinten lost 15 pounds and posted a 5.70% weight-loss percentage, dropping from 263 pounds to 248 at the weigh-in. His weight-loss percentage also resulted in Mark falling below the yellow line.

Brendan only shed five pounds after he started off the week weighing 265 and dropped to 260 pounds, putting up a 1.89% weight-loss percentage on the board -- leaving him below the red line and automatically eliminated.

Brendan's five pound loss also put Ada safely above the yellow line and Mark and Elizabeth below the yellow line and up for elimination, leaving the other three contestants to decide which person would be sent home from The Biggest Loser ranch.


After deliberating among themselves, the contestants met with Alison, Mark and Elizabeth and revealed their elimination votes. Ada and Patrick both voted for Mark -- resulting in his automatic elimination as two votes were enough to constitute for his exit given his status as a big threat in the competition.

Mark was surprised that Patrick voted for his ouster, as he believed them to be good friends who all had each other's backs, especially when it came down to voting. But Patrick said he felt he had no chance of winning against Mark if he was to remain in the competition.

While Mark initially told Patrick he understood his decision to vote him off, his post-elimination interview suggested otherwise.

"Patrick was wrong when he said if it was reversed I would make the same decision, because I wouldn't," Mark said.

During a post-show update, Brendan said he has now lost 125 pounds from his 362-pound starting weight and currently weighs 237 pounds. He also said he can now date again and teach his inner-city school kids to his full capability. Brendan explained how he plans to make an example of himself to the kids and finally be someone they can look up to.  


"Yeah I was a game player, but you guys saved my life. Now it's about me living longer, it's about me having a family, it's about me just living life and enjoying it for the first time in a long time," Brendan said, thanking The Biggest Loser's cast and crew.

During Mark's post-show update, he said he currently weighs 248 pounds, losing 173 pounds from his starting weight of 421 pounds on The Biggest Loser. In addition, he said he moved in with his cousin who he inspired to lose weight at home and plans to finish his journey with her. Mark also said he has reached out to prior contestants who can continue to motivate him, while inspiring each other.

"I know that I'm going to accomplish everything that I set out to do and to really kick-start my journey of life. I know how I used to hurt, I know how good I feel now -- no way I'm going back. It's already been decided -- No way in hell I'm going back," Mark explained.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski