Protein Calculator
Find how much protein to eat per day for your goal, based on your body weight.
How Much Protein Do You Need a Day?
Protein needs depend on two things: your body weight and what you ask your body to do. The standard guideline is grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. A sedentary adult needs about 0.8 g/kg. Someone training to build muscle needs roughly 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg.
So a single grams-per-day number from a generic chart rarely fits you. Your target scales with your weight and your goal. This calculator gives you a clear daily number, a sensible range, and a per-meal amount.
How This Protein Calculator Works
Enter your weight and pick a goal. The tool multiplies your weight in kilograms by a research-backed protein factor for that goal. It then shows your daily target in grams, a low-to-high range, and a per-meal amount.
The factors come from ISSN and ACSM position stands. Sedentary sits at 0.8 g/kg. General fitness lands around 1.4 g/kg. Building muscle runs 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg. Losing fat while keeping muscle sits near 1.8 to 2.2 g/kg.
Validated example: an 80 kg person aiming to build muscle gets 144 g of protein a day, with a range of 128 to 176 g.
Protein for Building Muscle, Losing Fat, and More
To build muscle, protein gives your body the raw material for repair and growth. Pair a target near 1.8 g/kg with strength training and enough total calories. To plan those calories, use the calorie calculator.
To lose fat, higher protein helps you keep muscle in a calorie deficit and stay full. A target around 2.0 g/kg is common during a cut. Set your eating level with the calorie intake calculator.
Protein is one of three macros. Once you know your protein, split the rest of your calories into carbs and fat with the macro calculator.
Hitting Your Protein Target
Spread protein across the day. Aim for 20 to 40 g per meal so your body can use it well. Good sources include chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, lentils, tofu and protein powder.
Knowing the number is the easy part. The work is doing it most days and tracking the trend in your weight and strength. The Velpa app logs your weight and steps in one private place so you can see whether your plan is working. To frame protein inside your full energy budget, check your TDEE.
Frequently asked questions
- How much protein do I need per day?
- It depends on your weight and goal. A sedentary adult needs about 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Active people need 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg. People building muscle or losing fat need 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg. For an 80 kg person that is roughly 64 g when sedentary and up to 176 g when building muscle. Enter your weight above for your own number.
- How is my protein target calculated?
- The calculator multiplies your body weight in kilograms by a protein factor for your goal. The factors come from ISSN and ACSM guidance: 0.8 g/kg sedentary, about 1.4 g/kg for general fitness, and 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg for muscle gain or fat loss. It then shows a daily target, a range, and a per-meal amount.
- How much protein to build muscle?
- Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For most people 1.8 g/kg is a solid target. An 80 kg lifter would eat about 144 g a day. Spread it across meals and pair it with strength training and enough total calories. More than 2.2 g/kg gives little extra benefit for muscle growth.
- How much protein to lose fat?
- Keep protein high while cutting calories, around 1.8 to 2.2 g/kg. Higher protein helps you hold onto muscle in a deficit and keeps you full. A 70 kg person would target roughly 126 to 154 g a day. Combine it with a modest calorie deficit rather than a crash diet.
- Can you eat too much protein?
- For healthy adults, protein intakes up to about 2.2 g/kg are safe and well studied. Very high intakes give no extra muscle benefit and can crowd out other foods. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, talk to a doctor before raising your protein a lot. This tool is general information, not medical advice.