Protein Calculator
How much protein you actually need based on your weight and goal. Uses the ISSN meta-analysis — not the inflated numbers most fitness calculators show.
Daily protein target
0.8 g per lb of bodyweight
Why these numbers are lower than other calculators
Most online protein calculators default to 1.0 to 1.3 g per pound regardless of goal. The ISSN meta-analysis (Morton et al., 2018) shows muscle protein synthesis maxes out around 1.6–2.2 g/kg, which works out to ~0.73–1.0 g/lb. Anything above that is just expensive pee — not harmful, just no extra benefit.
How we scale by goal
- Fat loss: 1.0 g/lb. Higher end of the evidence range to preserve muscle in a calorie deficit.
- Maintenance: 0.8 g/lb. Plenty for muscle maintenance without crowding out carbs and fat.
- Lean bulk: 1.0 g/lb. Supports synthesis without eating into your calorie budget for training fuel.
How to actually hit this
Prioritize protein at every meal. A chicken breast is ~30g, a scoop of whey is ~25g, Greek yogurt is ~15-20g per cup, eggs are ~6g each. Three solid protein sources a day and one shake usually gets most people there. More on practical macro tracking here.
Text START to +1 (512) 737-7110 and your Threwline coach logs every meal, tracks your running protein total, and flags you if you're falling behind.
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