How much protein do I need?

This is a question I receive a lot as a fitness coach and the answer isn’t as straight forward as most people hope. The FDA says that sedentary adults should consume around 0.8g of protein per kilogram of their body weight. For active individuals and athletes, the needs are higher and between 1.0g to 1.7g per kilogram of body weight. These recommendations can also fit into the total amount of protein we consume in our daily calories. This would look like a minimum of 10% up to 30% of calories come from protein.

Still confused? I get it. This is my real thought process and calculations I use when Nutrition Coaching:

Example- Female aged 40 weighing 160lbs or 72.5kg.

1g/kg of body weight= 72.5grams

1.5g/kg of body weight = 109grams

The total calories needs of this moderately active individual can be calculated using a TEE (Total Energy Expenditure) Calculator. This calculator uses, sex, age, weight and activity level for an estimation. The example individual needs about 2,200 calories daily. For individuals working out hard or training for an event or even those looking to increase muscle and decrease body fat percentage, having around 20%-30% of daily calories from protein works better. Here are the calculations:

2,200*.3=660 calories/4 calories per gram of protein= 165g of protein

2,200*.2=440 calories/4 calories per gram of protein= 110g of protein

Comparing the two calculations shows that 110g of protein daily is about 20% of the daily calories and about 1.5g/kg of body weight. This would be a great starting point for most individuals.

Again, these are just general guidelines and may vary depending on the individual or even medical conditions. Interested in more information regarding nutrition? Let’s chat! I offer affordable Nutrition Coaching to help with accountability and making nutrition simpler by not following any crazy diet so that these changes are sustainable. Click here for more information.