Protein calculator
Our protein calculator helps you find a daily protein target for losing fat, building muscle or staying healthy. Based on your weight, your goal and how often you train, it suggests a range to aim for. You can also choose how many meals you eat to see how that target breaks down across your day.
Your protein target
The numbers are ranges for your goal, worked out for your weight. The calculator doesn't ask whether you're a man or a woman because the amount is the same for both, weight for weight. Over 65? Don't go under the bottom of your range.
Put in your weight and pick your goal.
Count the days you lift weights or do a proper workout. Walks and steps don't count. If it changes from week to week, go with a normal week. More training days nudge your number up a little.
Have a lot of weight to lose?
What your result means
Your range is how much protein to aim for across a whole day, and anywhere inside it is on target. It works as an average, so one low day doesn’t undo a good week. Where the numbers come from is explained in how much protein you actually need.
If you have a lot of weight to lose, add a goal weight under your result. The calculator then works from a weight between your goal and your weight now, so the number stays realistic.
These ranges are for healthy adults. If you have kidney disease, your protein is your doctor’s to set, not a calculator’s.
This page is general information from coaches, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition or an injury, or take medication, talk to your doctor before you change your training or diet.
Sources
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025 to 2030. Guidelines PDF.
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. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018;52(6):376-384. DOI.
Longland TM, Oikawa SY, Mitchell CJ, Devries MC, Phillips SM. Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2016;103(3):738-746. DOI.
Arslan et al. Medical nutrition in the GLP-1 era: protein strategies, micronutrient monitoring, and lean mass preservation. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 2026;73:103305. DOI.
Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2018;15:10. DOI.
Trommelen 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 Reports Medicine, 2023;4(12):101324. DOI.
Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. National Academies Press, 2005. nap.nationalacademies.org.
Bauer J, Biolo G, Cederholm T, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 2013;14(8):542-559. DOI.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central: cooked chicken breast, Greek yogurt, eggs and firm tofu. fdc.nal.usda.gov.