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Protein Intake Calculator

Protein needs depend on body weight, how active you are and what you are trying to do. This calculator turns published grams-per-kilogram ranges into a daily target range for you, with the reasoning shown. Protein is especially important during weight loss, when the body can lose muscle along with fat.

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Estimates are educational. They do not diagnose any condition and do not establish eligibility for any medication. A licensed provider decides what is appropriate for you. Explore treatments if you want to learn about provider-guided programs.

What it estimates

A daily protein range in grams, based on your total body weight. Protein supplies amino acids for muscle, enzymes, hormones and immune function. Needs rise with exercise and during a calorie deficit, when adequate protein helps preserve lean mass.

How it works

The calculator multiplies body weight in kilograms by a range taken from published guidance:

  • RDA baseline: 0.8 g/kg per day, the Recommended Dietary Allowance from the National Academies, which is the amount to prevent deficiency in most healthy adults, not an optimum for active people. Used with a slight extension to 1.0 g/kg for maintenance with little exercise.
  • General active adults, maintenance: 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg per day, a range commonly cited in reviews for physically active adults.
  • Weight management: 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg per day, the range reviewed by Leidy and colleagues (2015) for improved appetite control and preserved lean mass during weight loss.
  • Muscle building: 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg per day. The ISSN position stand (2017) recommends 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg for building and maintaining muscle, and the Morton (2018) meta-analysis found gains in fat-free mass plateau around 1.6 g/kg with an upper confidence bound near 2.2 g/kg.

Daily protein (g) = weight (kg) × g/kg range

Pounds are converted to kilograms (1 lb = 0.4536 kg) before the calculation. For reference, 1 g/kg is about 0.45 g per pound.

Weight basis and limitations

  • The ranges use total body weight. For people with a high body weight, this can overstate needs; some clinicians use adjusted or goal weight instead. A registered dietitian can help choose a basis.
  • Spreading protein across 3 to 4 meals, with 20 to 40 g per meal, is generally suggested in the sports nutrition literature.
  • Special circumstances: kidney disease, liver disease, pregnancy, breastfeeding, older age and some medications change protein needs. Follow your care team's guidance in those cases.
  • This tool does not account for protein quality, timing or total calorie intake.

Sources

  1. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (2005) | National Academies
  2. Jäger R et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. JISSN 2017 | PMC
  3. Morton RW 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
  4. Leidy HJ et al. The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance. Am J Clin Nutr 2015 | PubMed
FAQ

Protein
questions

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Is 0.8 g/kg enough protein?

The RDA of 0.8 g/kg is set to prevent deficiency in nearly all healthy adults. Reviews suggest that active adults, older adults and people losing weight often do better at 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg, and people training to build muscle at 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg.

Why does protein matter during weight loss?

When calories are restricted, the body can break down muscle as well as fat. Higher protein intake helps preserve lean mass and tends to improve fullness, which is why 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg is often recommended during weight loss, including for people using appetite-reducing medications.

Should I use my current weight or my goal weight?

This calculator uses current total body weight because that is how the research ranges are expressed. If your current weight is much higher than your goal, the upper end may be more than you need, and using goal or adjusted body weight is a reasonable alternative to discuss with a dietitian.

Can too much protein hurt my kidneys?

In healthy adults, intakes within the ranges above have not been shown to harm kidney function. People with existing kidney disease should follow their care team's protein limits rather than this estimate.

Does it matter when I eat protein?

Total daily intake matters most. Spreading it across meals, roughly 20 to 40 g at a time, is a practical way to hit your target and supports muscle protein synthesis through the day.

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