Protein calculator.
Enter your body weight and goal to get a recommended daily protein target in grams. It works in pounds or kilograms and gives you a sensible range - the same kind of target a coach would set for a client.
the short answer
Most active adults do well on 1.6 to 2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight per day (about 0.7 to 1.0 g per pound) - roughly 1.6 g/kg for maintenance and toward 2.2 g/kg when building muscle or dieting. The calculator below turns your body weight and goal into a daily gram target with a sensible range, not a single rigid number.
Recommended daily protein
98 - 126 g
Target around 112 g per day
- Per meal (4 meals)
- ~28 g
- Weight used
- 69.9 kg
- Goal range
- 1.4 - 1.8 g/kg
A starting range, not medical advice. Adjust with real-world results.
how much protein should you eat
Most active adults should eat 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day - about 0.7 to 1.0 grams per pound. Multiply your weight in kilograms by your goal rate: roughly 1.6 g/kg to maintain, 1.8 g/kg to build muscle, and 2.0 g/kg during fat loss. A 70 kg (154 lb) person lands near 112 to 154 grams daily.
How the protein calculator is calculated.
The protein calculator uses a simple, evidence-based formula. It first converts your body weight to kilograms (kg = lb / 2.20462), then multiplies that by a gram-per-kilogram rate tied to your goal. The output is a daily protein range in grams, plus a mid-range target you can build meals around. Reaching that number from whole food is realistic for most people, though a protein powder makes a high target easier to hit on busy days.
The goal rates come from the research consensus that active people thrive on roughly 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg per day. Maintenance centers near 1.6 g/kg, muscle gain near 1.8 g/kg, and fat loss near 2.0 g/kg - because keeping protein high in a calorie deficit protects muscle and keeps you full. Activity level nudges the range up or down within those bounds.
Protein is only one piece of the picture. To turn this into a full plan you also need calories and the rest of your macros - our guide on how to calculate TDEE and macros for clients walks through the whole calculation.
How coaches use a protein calculator.
Coaches use a tool like this as a fast first pass when onboarding a client - drop in their weight and goal, get a defensible protein target in seconds, then refine it from check-in data over the first few weeks. The judgement calls behind that number - how hard to push protein in a deficit, how to split it across the day - are what our guide to setting protein targets for clients walks through, and whether that daily split actually moves the needle is the subject of our guide to protein timing. Sharing the number alongside the reasoning also builds trust, because the client sees a method rather than a guess.
A public calculator like this one doubles as a simple lead magnet: a coach can share the link, a prospect gets a useful answer, and the conversation about real coaching starts from there. Inside a coaching platform, the same target then lives on the client's plan instead of in a one-off web page.
Set targets like this for every client - automatically.
A calculator gives one number. Coachway lets coaches set protein and macro targets on each client's plan, attach them to a meal planner with 1,100+ recipes, and adjust as check-ins come in - so the target turns into a plan the client actually follows in the client app. It is the operating system for online fitness and nutrition coaches. To compare it with other tools, see the nutrition coaching software roundup.
Frequently asked questions.
How much protein should I eat per day?
Most active adults do well on 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day - roughly 0.7 to 1.0 grams per pound. Aim toward the lower end to maintain, the middle to build muscle, and the higher end during fat loss to protect muscle. A 70 kg (154 lb) person lands around 112 to 154 grams a day.
How does this protein calculator work?
The calculator takes your body weight and goal, converts pounds to kilograms internally (kg = lb / 2.20462), then multiplies by a goal-based gram-per-kilogram range. Maintenance uses about 1.6, muscle gain about 1.8, and fat loss about 2.0 g/kg, each shown as a sensible range so you get a daily protein target in grams rather than a single rigid number.
How much protein do I need to build muscle?
To build muscle, most evidence points to roughly 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, spread across three to five meals. Going much higher rarely adds benefit once you are training hard and in a slight calorie surplus. The muscle-gain setting in the calculator centers on about 1.8 g/kg and shows the surrounding range.
How much protein should I eat to lose fat?
During fat loss, higher protein - around 1.8 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight - helps preserve muscle and keeps you fuller in a calorie deficit. That is why the fat-loss setting sits near the top of the range, about 2.0 g/kg. Pair it with resistance training so the weight you lose comes from fat rather than muscle.
Should I calculate protein from body weight or lean mass?
For most people, total body weight is accurate enough and far easier to use, which is what this calculator does. Lean-body-mass formulas can be slightly more precise for people carrying a lot of excess weight, but they need a body-fat estimate. If body fat is high, leaning toward the lower end of the body-weight range is a reasonable adjustment.
Is this protein calculator suitable for everyone?
It gives a solid general target for healthy active adults, but it is not medical advice. People with kidney disease, those who are pregnant, and anyone on a medically supervised plan should follow their clinician or dietitian instead. Treat the result as a starting range to adjust with real-world results, not a fixed prescription.
This protein calculator is general information, not medical or dietary advice. Protein needs vary with age, health, and training - anyone with kidney disease, who is pregnant, or on a supervised plan should follow their clinician or dietitian.
Keep going with our other free tools: the TDEE calculator for daily calories and the macro calculator for the full split.
Want to coach this for clients rather than calculate it once? Read how to calculate TDEE and macros for clients and how to become a nutrition coach.
More free calculators
See all free tools ->Fiber Intake Calculator
Daily fiber target two ways: 14 g per 1,000 kcal and the fixed 25 g / 38 g standard, with food equivalents.
Open calculator ->Protein Per Meal Calculator
protein per meal calculator: enter bodyweight, meals per day, and your goal to get protein per meal plus the 0
Open calculator ->Calories Per Meal Calculator
Split a daily calorie target across meals - even, front-loaded or post-workout.
Open calculator ->Steps to Calories Calculator
Calories burned and distance from a step count, bodyweight, height and pace.
Open calculator ->Personal Trainer Bio Generator
Build 8 Instagram bios under 150 characters from your niche, outcome, and CTA.
Open calculator ->Reel Script Generator
Six 30-second talking-head reel scripts from your topic, point and one number, timed hook to ask at about 75 words, with copy buttons and a ChatGPT prompt export.
Open calculator ->See what Coachway can do for your coaching business
Coachway was built on knowledge from working with 150 online coaches over 6+ years, who all hit the same wall - slow platforms, clunky workflows, wasted hours. Start your 14-day free trial and see what we fixed - the whole platform, no charge today, cancel anytime under Billing.
