FREE PROTEIN TOOL

PROTEIN CALCULATOR

Find how much protein you need each day to lose fat, protect muscle, or build it. No email, no signup. The numbers update as you type.

Sex
Height (for context)
ft
in
Weight
lb
Goal
%
Basing protein on your bodyweight.
Meals per day
Recommended protein
180grams / day
Daily range146 - 200 g
Per meal (4 meals)45 g
Bodyweight basis200 lb
Example day (184g)
  • 4x 6 oz chicken breast156g
  • 4 oz ground beef28g

General guidance for healthy adults. People with kidney disease or on medications should follow their provider's advice. Aim for 25 to 40 g of protein per meal.

How much protein do you need per day?

Protein is the one macronutrient your body cannot store and will not improvise. You have to eat it every day to repair muscle, run your immune system, and build enzymes and hormones. The old RDA of 0.36 grams per pound of bodyweight is only the floor that stops deficiency in sedentary people. It is not the amount that helps you look, feel, or perform your best.

Sports-nutrition research points to a higher range. For general health and light activity, 0.55 to 0.73 grams per pound is a sensible target. Once you are actively training, losing fat, or trying to build muscle, the evidence supports 0.73 to 1.0 grams per pound of bodyweight. If you know your body fat percentage, basing protein on lean mass at 1.0 to 1.2 grams per pound is even more precise, since fat tissue needs very little protein to maintain. The calculator above picks the right basis for you and returns a low-to-high range plus a single recommended target.

Why protein matters most during weight loss

When you eat in a calorie deficit, your body can pull energy from either fat or muscle. Two things push it toward keeping muscle: lifting weights and eating enough protein. Skimp on protein while dieting and a meaningful share of the weight you lose comes off as lean tissue, which lowers your metabolism and leaves you softer at a lower weight.

Protein also has two properties that make dieting easier. It is the most filling macronutrient gram for gram, so a high-protein plate blunts hunger better than the same calories from carbs or fat. And it carries the highest thermic effect of food: your body burns roughly 20 to 30 percent of protein calories just digesting and processing it, compared with under 10 percent for carbs and fat. More fullness and a small metabolic bump both work in your favor.

Protein on GLP-1 medications

GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide work by cutting appetite, which is exactly why protein deserves extra attention on them. When you are eating far less overall, it is easy to fall short on protein and lose muscle along with fat, sometimes a large share of total weight lost. The fix is to treat protein as the priority at every meal: eat it first, hit the higher end of your range, and add resistance training two or three times a week. See our GLP-1 diet plan for how to structure meals when your appetite is suppressed.

Protein quality and distribution

Not all protein is equal. Complete proteins, mostly from animal foods, contain all nine essential amino acids and are rich in leucine, the amino acid that flips on muscle building. Getting 25 to 40 grams of quality protein per meal, with enough leucine each time, drives muscle repair better than loading it all into one meal. That is why the calculator splits your target across three or four meals: spreading protein through the day beats a single large serving.

High-protein foods and grams per serving

You do not need powders to hit your numbers, though a scoop makes it easy. Here is what common servings deliver:

  • Chicken breast, 6 oz cooked: about 39 g
  • Lean ground beef, 4 oz cooked: about 28 g
  • Canned tuna, one can: about 27 g
  • Whey protein, one scoop: about 25 g
  • Greek yogurt, one cup: about 17 g
  • Cottage cheese, half cup: about 14 g
  • Eggs, two large: about 12 g
  • Tofu, half cup firm: about 10 g

For a full shopping list, see our keto food list, and if you want a convenient powder, our guide to the best keto protein powder compares low-carb options. To build meals around these targets, the high-protein low-carb diet guide shows how it fits together, and the keto calculator sets your full fat, protein, and carb macros if you are eating keto.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much protein do I need per day?

For most healthy adults, 0.55 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day covers the range from lightly active to fat loss and muscle building. The RDA floor of 0.36 grams per pound only prevents deficiency in sedentary people. If you are losing weight, training hard, or over 50, aim toward the higher end, roughly 0.7 to 1.0 grams per pound. The calculator sets your range from your weight, activity, and goal.

Can you eat too much protein?

For healthy adults, protein intakes up to about 1.0 gram per pound of bodyweight are well studied and safe, and even higher intakes have not been shown to harm the kidneys of healthy people. Extra protein above your needs is simply used for energy. The main caution is for people with existing kidney disease, who should follow their doctor or dietitian on protein limits.

How much protein should I eat on Ozempic or another GLP-1?

GLP-1 medications cut appetite sharply, so it is easy to under-eat protein and lose muscle along with fat. Aim for the higher end of the range, about 0.73 to 1.0 grams per pound of goal bodyweight, and prioritize protein at every meal before other foods. Combining that with resistance training is the best way to keep muscle while the medication drives fat loss.

What are the best protein sources?

Complete animal proteins give you all essential amino acids and the most leucine per gram: chicken breast, lean beef, eggs, fish, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and whey or casein powder. Plant eaters can hit their targets with tofu, tempeh, edamame, lentils, and a soy or pea protein powder, though portions run a little larger to match the same grams.

How much protein do I need to lose weight?

In a calorie deficit, higher protein protects the muscle you would otherwise lose and keeps you full, so more of the weight you drop is fat. A practical target is 0.73 to 1.0 grams per pound of goal bodyweight, spread across three or four meals of 25 to 40 grams each. Pair that with strength training two or three times a week.