How much protein do you need to lose fat and keep muscle?

When you're trying to lose fat, protein is the one number that matters most after calories. Get it right and the weight you lose comes mostly from fat, not muscle. Get it wrong and you end up smaller, softer and hungrier.

The short answer

For most people losing fat, aim for 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal body weight each day. If your goal is 150 lb, that's roughly 105 to 150 grams a day.

That lines up with the research. The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends 1.4 to 2.0 g per kilogram of body weight per day for people who train, and studies on lean athletes dieting down suggest going higher, around 2.3 to 3.1 g per kilogram of lean mass, to protect muscle in a calorie deficit.

Why protein matters more when you diet

• It protects muscle. In a calorie deficit your body looks for energy anywhere it can. Enough protein, plus strength training, tells it to keep the muscle.
• It keeps you full. Protein is the most filling macronutrient, which makes a deficit much easier to stick to.
• It costs more to digest. Your body burns more energy processing protein than carbs or fat.

Spread it across the day

Instead of one huge dinner, split your protein into 3 to 5 meals of roughly 25 to 40 grams each. It's easier to hit your number, and it keeps hunger steady.

Easy ways to get 30 grams

Food	About 30 g protein
Chicken breast	4 oz cooked
Greek yogurt (nonfat)	1½ cups
Eggs + egg whites	2 eggs + ¾ cup whites
Lean ground turkey (93%)	5 oz raw
Salmon	5 oz cooked
Whey protein	1 to 1½ scoops
Cottage cheese (low-fat)	1¼ cups

Common mistakes

• Counting peanut butter, nuts or cheese as "protein foods". They're mostly fat.
• Eating most of your protein at night and almost none at breakfast.
• Cutting calories hard but not lifting weights. Protein alone won't save muscle without training.

General information, not medical advice. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, talk to your doctor before raising your protein intake.