How much protein do you need?
Protein needs depend on your body weight and how active you are. General guidelines (grams per kg of body weight):
- General health: 0.8–1.2 g/kg
- Active / fitness: 1.4–1.6 g/kg
- Fat loss (preserve muscle): 1.6–2.2 g/kg
- Building muscle: 1.6–2.2 g/kg
Why protein matters
Protein builds and repairs muscle, keeps you full (which helps with fat loss), and has the highest "thermic effect" of any macro — your body burns more calories digesting it. When dieting, adequate protein is the single biggest factor in keeping muscle while losing fat.
Can you eat too much protein?
For healthy people, high-protein diets are safe. Very high intakes just tend to be unnecessary rather than harmful.
How much protein is in common foods?
Roughly: 1 egg ≈ 6 g, 100 g chicken breast ≈ 31 g, 100 g Greek yogurt ≈ 10 g, 1 scoop whey ≈ 24 g.