Protein Calculator

Sophia, your metrIQ coach

Sophia · your coach

Protein is the one macro most people under-eat. This gives you a daily range built around your body and your goal. Fill in a few details.

yrs
kg
cm

Daily protein

155–189g

Aim for the upper end on training days.

Per kg bodyweight2.2g/kg

Why protein comes first

Protein is the macro most people under-eat, and the one that matters most whether you're losing fat or building muscle. It preserves muscle in a deficit, keeps you full between meals, and costs more energy to digest than carbs or fat.

This calculator gives you a daily range in grams, built from your estimated lean body mass and your goal. Aim for the middle on rest days and the upper end on training days — hitting the range consistently matters far more than nailing an exact number.

The goal you pick genuinely changes the answer. Fat loss raises the target to protect the muscle a deficit would otherwise spend; building muscle raises it again, because you're asking your body to add tissue rather than just keep it. Maintenance sits between the two.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein do I need per day?

Most guidelines land around 1.6–2.2 g per kilogram of bodyweight (about 0.7–1 g per pound) for people who train. This tool works from your lean mass instead, which is the better basis — bodyweight scaling overshoots the more body fat you carry — and it shifts the range up during fat loss to protect muscle.

How much protein do I need to build muscle?

Pick "Build muscle" and the range moves up — building tissue asks more of your protein intake than simply keeping it. In round numbers most people land near the top of the 1.6–2.2 g per kilogram of bodyweight band. Protein is only half of it, though: without resistance training and a small calorie surplus, extra protein has nothing to build with.

Is that grams per kilogram or per pound?

The result is a plain daily total in grams, so you never have to do the conversion — switch between metric and imperial and the number stays correct for the weight you entered. For the rules of thumb: 1.6–2.2 g per kilogram of bodyweight is the same as roughly 0.7–1 g per pound.

Can I eat too much protein?

For healthy people, protein within these ranges is safe — the body uses or burns any surplus. There's little benefit to going far above the top of the range, so spend those calories on carbs or fat instead.

Does protein timing matter?

Total daily protein matters far more than timing. Spreading it across 3–4 meals helps you hit the number and may modestly help muscle, but don't stress the clock.

Is plant protein as good?

Yes, with a little planning. Plant sources can be lower in some amino acids, so eat a variety and aim slightly toward the upper end of your range.

More free calculators

Want the why? Read: How much protein you actually need