Protein Calculator
Your daily protein target in grams — for muscle, fat loss, or maintenance — with the rest of your macros worked out too.
About you
Add it to switch to the lean-mass Katch-McArdle formula.
Activity
Goal & nutrition
Used for your timeline estimate.
Daily protein
2.2 g/kg · 1.00 g/lb
Protein
38%
Carbs
35%
Fat
27%
Meal split
How it works
Protein is the one macronutrient with a real per-bodyweight requirement, so we set it first — grams per kilogram of bodyweight, scaled to your goal — then build the rest of your calories around it. Use the protein slider to move between the conservative (1.6 g/kg) and high (2.2+ g/kg) ends of the evidence-based range.
Daily protein
protein (g) = target (g/kg) × bodyweight (kg)
- target
- 1.6–2.2 g/kg active; up to 2.4 in a deficit
- bodyweight
- total weight, or goal/lean weight if high body-fat
- 1 g/lb
- ≈ 2.2 g/kg (the popular shorthand)
Worked example
- Man, 80 kg (176 lb), building muscle
- Target 1.8 g/kg
- Protein = 1.8 × 80
≈ 144 g of protein per day (about 0.8 g per pound).
Good to know
- Spread protein across 3–4 meals of 30–50 g each — this is slightly more effective for muscle than loading it all at dinner.
- Whole-food sources (meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, tofu) come with other nutrients; powders are a convenience, not a requirement.
- If you are very overweight, base the target on your goal weight or enter body-fat % so it uses lean mass — otherwise the number can be needlessly high.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein should I eat per day?
For active people who want to keep or build muscle, the research-backed range is 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, or roughly 0.7–1.0 g per pound. Sedentary adults need less (about 0.8 g/kg minimum), while people dieting hard or training intensely benefit from the higher end.
Is protein per pound or per kilogram?
Both describe the same target. 1 g/lb is about 2.2 g/kg. This calculator shows your number in grams per day plus both per-pound and per-kilogram, so it matches whichever rule of thumb you have heard.
Do I need more protein to lose weight?
Yes — keeping protein high (often 2.0–2.4 g/kg) while in a calorie deficit is one of the most effective things you can do to preserve muscle and stay full, so most of the weight you lose is fat.
Can I eat too much protein?
For healthy people, intakes up to about 2.5–3 g/kg are safe; there is no kidney risk without pre-existing kidney disease. Beyond your target, extra protein is simply used for energy — not harmful, just unnecessary.
Should protein be based on goal weight if I’m overweight?
If you carry a lot of body fat, basing protein on your goal weight or lean body mass (enter your body-fat %) avoids an unnecessarily high target. The calculator’s g/kg slider lets you tune this directly.