How much protein do you need?
Protein is what keeps the weight you lose coming from fat instead of muscle. The right amount is simpler than the internet makes it. One number, split across your meals.
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You'll get a daily target in grams, the range around it, how much that is per meal, and how many 20-gram blocks it adds up to.
How the number is set
The research on dieting adults lands between 0.6 and 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight a day. The low end is for holding your weight. Dieting, and especially dieting while lifting, moves you toward the top, since that's where protein does the most to protect muscle. If you have a lot of weight to lose, the target is based on your goal weight, since protein should match the body you're building rather than the one you're carrying.
In 24 trials where people ate the same calories, the higher-protein groups lost about two more pounds of fat and kept about a pound more lean mass over roughly 12 weeks. Same calories, better result. That's why protein gets set first.
How to hit it
Think in 20-gram blocks. Three ounces of chicken, a cup of Greek yogurt, three eggs, a scoop of whey, a can of tuna, a cup of cottage cheese. Each is about one block. Most targets work out to six to ten blocks a day, which is two or three per meal. Put the protein on the plate first and build the rest of the meal around it.
If this is a big jump from what you eat now, don't try to get there tomorrow. Add one block a day for a week, then another. Spread it out, at least 25 to 30 grams at each meal, because one giant dinner doesn't do the same job.
The free cheat sheet has 18 everyday foods already portioned to 20 grams, with calories, in a regular and a vegetarian version.
Where do these numbers come from?
The range: in a meta-analysis of 49 trials (Morton et al., Br J Sports Med 2018), muscle gains from lifting stopped improving past about 1.6 g of protein per kg of bodyweight a day, which is about 0.73 g per pound. For lean, trained people dieting hard, a systematic review (Helms et al., Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2014) put the need at 2.3 to 3.1 g per kg of lean mass, which is why the top of the range is for people lifting while they cut. The fat-loss comparison above is Wycherley et al., Am J Clin Nutr 2012 (24 trials, 1,063 people). Kidney safety is Devries et al., J Nutr 2018 (28 trials).
Is that much protein safe?
For healthy adults, yes. Reviews of the research at these intakes haven't found harm to kidney function in people with healthy kidneys. If you have kidney disease or your doctor has you on a protein limit, follow your doctor.
Does it matter if it's plant protein?
You can hit the target on plants. Plant proteins are a little less complete per gram, so vegetarians and vegans do well aiming at the higher end of the range and mixing sources: soy, legumes, seitan, protein powder, dairy or eggs if you eat them.
Do I need protein powder?
No. It's a convenient block when a meal is hard to make, and that's all. Food first. A scoop of whey or a plant blend is fine when you're short.
Get the protein cheat sheet
Eighteen foods portioned to 20 grams each, with calories. Regular and vegetarian. Print it and stick it on the fridge.
Want the targets set and adjusted for you?
That's what online coaching is. Calories, protein, training and the plan for your busiest week, adjusted every week from your check-ins. $200 a month.