Free tool
How much protein do you actually need?
Enter your weight and pick your situation. The calculator returns a daily range coaches commonly use and splits it across meals so it is achievable, not theoretical.
Your situation
Very high body weights are calculated on a capped weight so the target stays realistic.
Daily protein target
0 g
grams per day
- Per meal0 g
- Grams per pound of body weight0
- Rough food equivalent per meal...
Coach-scope ranges commonly used in strength coaching. Not medical nutrition therapy. Kidney disease, pregnancy and medical diets need a clinician's numbers.
How the calculator sets the range
The tool multiplies body weight by a grams-per-pound factor that depends on the goal, nudges the factor up for adults over 50, and divides the daily total across the meals you eat. For heavier bodies it caps the weight used so the target does not run away.
| Goal | Grams per pound | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Stay strong | 0.6 to 0.8 | Enough to maintain muscle with regular activity |
| Build muscle | 0.8 to 1.0 | Supports muscle protein synthesis around training |
| Lose fat | 0.8 to 1.0 | A calorie deficit costs muscle unless protein stays high |
| On a GLP-1 | 0.8 to 1.0, upper end | Appetite drops and muscle loss follows unless protein is deliberate |
| 50 and over | Add about 0.1 | Older muscle responds less to each meal, so each meal needs more |
A worked example
A 170 pound adult over 50 who wants to lose fat: 170 times 0.9 to 1.1 gives about 150 to 185 grams a day. Across four meals that is roughly 40 to 45 grams each, which looks like a palm and a half of chicken, fish or tofu, a cup of Greek yogurt with an egg on the side, or a scoop of protein in a smoothie.
Questions people ask
Before you trust the number
Is this a meal plan?
No. It gives a daily protein range and a per-meal split in coach scope. Anyone with kidney disease, a medical diet or a prescriber managing weight-loss medication should confirm targets with their clinician or a registered dietitian.
Why is the target higher for older adults and people on GLP-1 medication?
Both groups lose muscle more easily during weight loss or inactivity, and research on muscle retention points to the higher end of the range. The medication itself is your prescriber's domain; protein and lifting are the coach's.
Do I need protein shakes to hit the number?
Usually not. Most people reach the range with a protein source at each of three or four meals. A shake is a convenience for the meal that keeps coming up short, not a requirement.
Protein is half the equation
The other half is lifting
Protein protects muscle only when the muscle has a reason to stay. A free consultation at FlexWerk in Carmel City Center includes an InBody scan that shows your starting muscle mass and a coach who builds the strength side in a private room.
- Free InBody scan shows your muscle baseline
- Two coached strength sessions a week is the usual prescription
- Private rooms, no gym floor
- First session free