How much protein do I need?

How much protein do you need?

UnitsMetric (kg, cm)US (lb, ft, in)Your weightMeals in your eating windowTwo mealsThree meals

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How the calculator works

It multiplies your weight by three numbers from the research. The US and Canadian recommended dietary allowance is 0.8 g of protein per kilo of body weight a day: a minimum for basic needs, and likely too little if you're building strength ¹. A review of weight-loss research linked 1.2 to 1.6 g per kilo a day with better appetite control and weight management ². Then it splits the range over the two or three meals of your eating window. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.

Your weight	Minimum (0.8 g/kg)	1.2 to 1.6 g/kg	Per meal, 2 meals	Per meal, 3 meals
55 kg (121 lb)	44 g	66 to 88 g	33 to 44 g	22 to 29 g
70 kg (154 lb)	56 g	84 to 112 g	42 to 56 g	28 to 37 g
85 kg (187 lb)	68 g	102 to 136 g	51 to 68 g	34 to 45 g
100 kg (220 lb)	80 g	120 to 160 g	60 to 80 g	40 to 53 g

Why protein matters more when you fast

A shorter eating window usually means fewer meals, and protein is the easiest nutrient to fall short on. That matters, because when you eat less, protein helps you keep muscle. Several meta-analyses found that higher-protein diets for weight loss led to more fat loss and kept more lean mass than lower-protein diets with the same calories. Protein also makes meals more filling, though the effect on how much people eat later is modest ². In one 12-week trial, people who simply ate between noon and 8 p.m. lost more lean mass than people eating three meals a day, mostly from their arms and legs ³.

If you strength train

A meta-analysis of 49 trials with 1,863 people found that extra protein boosted gains in muscle and strength, and that gains in muscle levelled off at about 1.6 g per kilo a day. That estimate was uncertain: its range ran from about 1.0 to 2.2 g, so the authors suggested up to 2.2 g for anyone trying to build as much muscle as possible ¹.

Fitting it into your window

If you have a lot of weight to lose, ask a dietitian which weight to use, as a figure based on your current weight can be higher than you need. For meal ideas, see what to eat during intermittent fasting and the guide Protein and muscle.

Sources

1. Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):376-384. doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
2. Leidy HJ, Clifton PM, Astrup A, et al. The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;101(6):1320S-1329S. doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.084038
3. Lowe DA, Wu N, Rohdin-Bibby L, et al. Effects of Time-Restricted Eating on Weight Loss and Other Metabolic Parameters in Women and Men With Overweight and Obesity: The TREAT Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2020;180(11):1491-1499. doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.4153
4. Trommelen J, van Lieshout GAA, Nyakayiru J, et al. The anabolic response to protein ingestion during recovery from exercise has no upper limit in magnitude and duration in vivo in humans. Cell Rep Med. 2023;4(12):101324. doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101324
5. Areta JL, Burke LM, Ross ML, et al. Timing and distribution of protein ingestion during prolonged recovery from resistance exercise alters myofibrillar protein synthesis. J Physiol. 2013;591(9):2319-31. doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2012.244897