Protein Calculator
How much protein you actually need depends on your weight and what you're training for. Enter both and get a daily target in grams — with per-meal guidance you can act on.
How much protein you need, by goal
The official minimum — 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight — is set to prevent deficiency, not to help you thrive. Most people doing anything active, losing weight, or trying to hold onto muscle as they age benefit from more. Here's the evidence-based picture this calculator uses:
- General health — 1.0–1.2 g/kg. Comfortably above the floor; supports everyday activity and muscle upkeep.
- Losing fat, keeping muscle — 1.2–1.6 g/kg. Higher protein in a calorie deficit preserves lean mass and keeps you full, so more of what you lose is fat.
- Building muscle — 1.6–2.2 g/kg. Paired with resistance training, this range supports muscle growth; going much higher adds little.
- Very active / athlete — 1.4–2.0 g/kg. Covers high training volumes and recovery demands.
Spread it across the day
Total daily protein matters most, but distribution helps. Your body can only use so much protein for muscle repair in one sitting, so aim for 25–40 grams per meal across three or four meals rather than one giant protein hit at dinner. Anchoring each meal with a palm-sized portion of a protein source — eggs, chicken, fish, Greek yogurt, tofu, legumes — usually gets you most of the way there.
Which weight should you use?
For most people, your current body weight works fine. If you're carrying a lot of excess weight, basing the target on your goal weight (or lean body mass) avoids overshooting — protein needs track muscle, not fat. When in doubt, the middle of the range is a sensible place to land.
Knowing your number is easy; the real work is checking whether you actually hit it each day — and protein is the one macro people most often fall short on without realising. Rekkon makes that trivial: say what you ate and it surfaces your running protein total, so "am I getting enough?" stops being a guess.
This calculator gives general, evidence-based estimates and isn't medical or dietary advice. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, your protein needs should be set individually by a doctor or registered dietitian. If you have a history of disordered eating, please seek professional guidance before setting nutrition targets.
Knowing the number is easy. Hitting it isn't.
Say what you ate and Rekkon tracks your protein automatically — so you catch the shortfall before the day's over. Seven days free.
Try Rekkon freeCommon questions
How much protein do I need per day?
Depends on weight and goal. The floor is ~0.8 g/kg, but for general health aim for 1.0–1.2 g/kg, for fat loss with muscle preservation 1.2–1.6 g/kg, and to build muscle 1.6–2.2 g/kg. For a 70 kg person that's roughly 84–154 g/day depending on the goal.
How much protein to lose weight?
Around 1.2–1.6 g/kg. In a deficit, higher protein preserves muscle so most of what you lose is fat, keeps you fuller, and has the highest thermic effect of the macros — your body burns more just digesting it.
Can you eat too much protein?
For healthy people, intakes within these ranges are considered safe, with no strong evidence of harm to healthy kidneys. Very high intakes add little benefit for most goals. With kidney disease, your target should be set by a doctor, not a general calculator.
When should I eat protein?
Total daily intake matters most, but spreading it out helps — aim for 25–40 g per meal across 3–4 meals rather than loading it all at dinner, since your body can only use so much for muscle repair at once.