Roughly 1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight. For an 80kg person that's about 130g a day — more than most people eat, less than the internet insists on.
When you're eating less than you burn, your body takes the shortfall from somewhere. Without enough protein some of that comes from muscle rather than fat — which makes you smaller but not leaner, and lowers what you burn, making the next stretch harder.
It's also the most filling of the three macronutrients by a distance. Hitting the target usually makes the whole day easier rather than harder.
Around 1.6g per kilogram of bodyweight is where the benefit largely plateaus. More isn't harmful, it just stops helping.
If you're carrying a lot of fat, working from a target weight rather than your current one gives a more sensible figure.
| Food | Protein |
|---|---|
| Chicken breast, 150g | 45g |
| Greek yoghurt, 200g | 20g |
| Cottage cheese, 200g | 24g |
| Three eggs | 18g |
| Tin of tuna | 25g |
| Scoop of whey | 24g |
| Lentils, 200g cooked | 18g |
| Tofu, 150g | 18g |
Most people are fine at dinner and short at breakfast. Swapping toast or cereal for eggs, Greek yoghurt or cottage cheese closes most of the gap in one move — and does more for afternoon cravings than any amount of resolve.
No. It's convenient food, not a supplement that does anything special. If hitting the number from meals is a faff, a shake is a quick 25g. If it isn't, don't bother.
Don't chase protein so hard that your total calories climb past your target. Fat loss is still decided by the total — protein changes what you lose, not whether you lose it.
Leeway is a free tool that does this arithmetic for you. Put what's coming up into the week and it spreads the cost across the days around it, with a floor it won't plan below.
Open the planner — freeLeeway is a planning tool, not medical or dietary advice. Calorie figures are typical estimates and vary by brand, measure and recipe. It isn't suitable if you have, or have had, an eating disorder or a disordered relationship with food. If you're unsure what a safe calorie target is for you, speak to a GP or registered dietitian first.