Protein calculator: find out your daily protein needs

By now you’ve heard about the power of protein. It’s the magic macronutrient that helps you stay full and preserve muscle mass while losing weight. And you’re probably wondering, “How much protein do I need?” Well, we can help you figure it out.

The MyFitnessPal The Protein Calculator is a simple, user-friendly tool designed to help you determine your approximate daily protein needs based on your unique lifestyle and health goals.

How to use the MyFitnessPal protein calculator

This tool takes some of the guesswork out of how much protein you should weigh. All you need to do is enter some basic information about yourself, including:

Proteins are necessary for building and repairing tissues, producing enzymes and hormones, and maintaining muscle mass. The calculator uses evidence-based guidelines to ensure your protein intake supports your goals without going overboard (1).

As always, the recommendations are guidelines for your information only – you should always speak to your doctor or registered dietitian for personalized advice or if you have any medical conditions.

Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein

The RDA for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight for most adults. However, this amount is minimum the amount needed to support basic body functions and prevent muscle wasting (7).

The RDA amount is probably not enough to meet the needs of active people or those with specific fitness goals. How much protein you need to gain muscle or maintain muscle mass is another matter.

Protein intake guidelines

Other organizations that issue recommendations, such as Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and International Society for Sports Nutritionwe recommend 1.2 to 2 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight per day. (1)

For a 150-pound person, that’s between 82 and 136 grams of protein per day. Plug your numbers into the calculator to get a better idea of ​​what a good protein goal would be for you.

How to calculate protein intake in meals

Your protein goal for the day may seem like a high number when you first see it. It can be helpful to work toward this goal one meal and snack at a time.

Here are two good strategies for determining the amount of protein in each meal:

Read food labels

Nutrition labels list the protein content per serving. Multiply this number by the number of servings you consume to calculate your total protein intake from packaged foods.

Use MyFitnessPal

With MyFitnessPalprotein tracking is easy. Simply log your meals in the app and it will calculate your daily protein intake, helping you stay on track with your goals.

Food sources with high protein content

Many everyday foods are rich in protein. Here are some of the most common foods that can help you reach your protein and overall nutritional goals:

Risks of insufficient or excessive protein intake

Protein is needed by every cell in our body. Without it, muscle growth, tissue development and repair do not occur as they should (2).

But it can be too much of a good thing. When you’re laser-focused on eating protein, it can crowd out other nutritious foods. “It’s getting harder to include all the food groups, it’s getting harder to get variety in your meals and to put together your meals, it’s getting harder to balance your carbohydrate and fat needs,” says Stephanie Nelson, MyFitnessPal’s lead nutrition scientist.

Striking the right balance is key to avoiding these problems while optimizing health.

FAQs

How do I calculate how much protein I need?

Use the MyFitnessPal protein calculator by entering your weight, age, activity level and goals.

How to consume 100g of protein per day?

Build your meals around protein-rich foods like eggs for breakfast, grilled chicken for lunch, and tofu stir-fry for dinner.

How much protein do I need to lose weight?

Most people benefit from 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight while losing weight (1).

If you lift weights do you need more protein?

Building new muscle and maintaining muscle mass requires a positive balance of muscle proteins. Research shows that resistance training combined with protein consumption stimulates muscle protein synthesis (muscle growth) (3).
This means that it is important to consume adequate amounts of protein when lifting weights in order to gain muscle, but also to maintain the current muscle mass. Although the body can technically build muscle from amino acid reserves, this is not ideal and has not been shown to be as effective, so protein intake recommendations for physically active individuals are higher than for sedentary individuals (4).

What are the symptoms of too much protein in the body?

Although protein deficiency is not ideal, consuming too much protein can also have adverse effects. The kidneys filter out the byproducts of ingested protein, so anyone with impaired kidney function should refrain from consuming large amounts of protein. Fluids are also needed to break down and flush out these byproducts so hydration status is occasionally affected when excessive protein consumption (5).
Remember that the source of protein is just as important as the amount, research has shown that excessive consumption of red meat and processed meat can increase the overall risk of mortality. You may want to choose more protein sources such as fish, poultry, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy products (6).

Additional resources for further learning

Explore the protein calculator today and take the guesswork out of reaching your protein goals!

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