Weight Loss Center Break-Even Analysis: $88K Monthly Revenue

Fixed costs $77.1K/mo Payroll and overhead

Contribution margin 87.5% After variable spend

Break-even revenue $88.2K/mo Revenue to cover

Break-even timing Month 26 Model payback point

Break-even calculator

Test monthly revenue, variable expenses, and fixed costs against break-even for a weight loss center.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue sets the margin pool that has to cover fixed monthly costs. $ Low volume High volume Variable expenses Direct costs rise with client volume, like testing, materials, marketing, and supplies. $ Lower spend Higher spend

Money available to cover fixed costs $86,307 $96,870 revenue - $10,563 variable expenses

Margin ratio

89%

Covers fixed costs

$25,826 short

Fixed monthly costs Monthly rent, payroll, and overhead the center has to cover. $ Lower overhead Higher overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which weight loss center expenses stay fixed, and which move with sales?

Cost classification

At breakeven month 26, wrong cost labels can make the target look easier than it is. Keep rent and salaried payroll in overhead, while testing, materials, and acquisition marketing reduce contribution margin.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Facility Rent	Fixed	Include $15,000 per month in fixed overhead from Month 1 through Month 60.	Tying rent to client volume instead of the lease commitment.
Physician payroll	Fixed	Include the salaried physician in payroll overhead; Year 1 salary is $180,000, or $15,000 per month.	Treating salaried clinical labor as per-session labor.
Lab Testing Fees	Variable	Apply as a revenue-linked charge; first-year rate is 2.0% of revenue.	Burying lab fees in overhead and overstating contribution margin.
Program Materials & Supplements	Variable	Apply as fulfillment drag; first-year rate is 1.5% of revenue.	Ignoring materials when pricing programs and packages.
Client Acquisition Marketing	Variable	Apply as a sales-linked expense; first-year rate is 8.0% of revenue.	Mixing base brand spend with client acquisition spend.
Utilities	Semi-variable	Start with the modeled $2,500 per month base load, then track usage-driven overages separately if volume strains the facility.	Assuming every utility dollar rises in lockstep with revenue.
Software Subscriptions	Fixed	Include $800 per month in recurring overhead from Month 1 through Month 60.	Counting one-time software licenses as monthly subscription expense.

How does break-even change from a lean opening year to a full Year 5 clinic?

Scenario table

As staff count rises, revenue scales faster than the wage base, so the margin widens. Variable costs stay under 13% of revenue in every case, which means break-even risk is mostly about filling provider time.

Planning figures only; actual break-even will move with utilization, staffing mix, and referral flow.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean opening-year clinic	$57,260	$7,158	$87,133	87.5%	-$37,031	Still below break-even; fixed payroll dominates.
Base Year 3 ramp	$150,239	$16,376	$112,133	89.1%	$21,730	Monthly coverage turns positive, but the cushion is still tight.
Full Year 5 scale	$362,654	$33,727	$182,133	90.7%	$146,794	Strong break-even cushion, driven by higher provider utilization.

What breaks the break-even plan for a weight loss center?

Stress test

The plan is most exposed to slower consult bookings, higher payroll, and marketing that runs too hot. In Year 1, break-even is about $882k, so even a modest revenue miss or margin slip leaves a wide gap.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$882k	$310k gap	No cushion if utilization lags.
Revenue shortfall	Year 1 revenue runs 10% below plan.	$882k	$320k gap	Slower consult bookings widen the hole fast.
Fixed-cost increase	Fixed costs run 10% above plan.	$970k	$398k gap	Payroll or rent added too early lifts break-even.
Margin pressure	Variable expenses rise from 12.5% to 17.5%.	$935k	$363k gap	Ad costs over 80% of revenue or refunds hurt contribution.
Combined pressure	Revenue is 10% lower, fixed costs are 10% higher, and variable expenses rise to 17.5%.	$1.03M	$423k gap	This leaves very little room for delays.

Can this weight loss center carry break-even before you sign the lease and hire the full team?

Founder checklist

Test booked demand, staffing, and cash against the break-even math before you commit. The model points to $882K in monthly break-even revenue, so Year 1 volume has to support rent, payroll, and ramp losses without a cash crunch.

1Demand proof$882K/mo

Verify booked consults can support the monthly break-even target before you lock the lease.

2Overhead load$22.6K/mo

Check that rent, utilities, maintenance, insurance, software, supplies, development, and security fit the base monthly burn.

3Payroll load$655K/yr

Confirm Year 1 staffing covers 1 physician, 1 dietitian, 2 trainers, 1 health coach, 1 program coordinator, 1 center manager, and 1 receptionist admin.

4Utilization rampYear 3

Do not add more headcount until bookings move toward Year 3 utilization, when physician, dietitian, trainer, coach, and coordinator capacity is meaningfully higher.

5Cash runway-$296K

Hold enough cash to absorb Year 1 EBITDA of -$426K and Year 2 EBITDA of -$278K, because the model bottoms in Month 36.

6Setup cash$448K

Fund build-out, equipment, IT, and launch spend separately, since that one-time setup cash does not cover monthly operating losses.