Free calculator
Protein calculator
By Caleb King, founder of CoachhUpdated Formula: Body weight in kg × 0.8 to 2.2 g
Multiply your weight in kilograms by the range for how you train: at least 0.8 g a day if you're mostly inactive, 1.4–2.0 g if you exercise regularly, 1.6–2.2 g if you lift to build muscle, and at least 1.0–1.2 g if you're over 65. For someone who weighs 160 lb and exercises regularly, that's 100–145 g of protein a day.
Protein calculator
A daily range from your weight and how you train. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
100–145 g of protein a day
1.4–2 g per kg of body weight (ISSN position stand (Jäger et al., 2017)). Split over 3–4 meals, that’s about 25–50 g a meal.
General guidance for healthy adults, not a prescription. If you have kidney disease, are pregnant, or follow a medical diet, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian what’s right for you.
How does the protein calculator work?
It converts your weight to kilograms (pounds ÷ 2.2046), multiplies by the range for how you train, and rounds to the nearest 5 g, because more precision than that would be false. The ranges:
- 0.8 g/kg, the minimum for mostly inactive adults: the RDA, which a review in Advances in Nutrition describes as meeting the needs of nearly all healthy people, not as a target for people who train.
- 1.4–2.0 g/kg if you exercise regularly, from the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand.
- 1.6–2.2 g/kg if you lift to build or keep muscle: a 2018 meta-analysis found no further muscle gain from protein beyond about 1.6 g/kg a day, with the upper end of its estimate at 2.2 g/kg.
- At least 1.0–1.2 g/kg over 65, from the PROT-AGE Study Group.
What does a worked example look like?
Someone who weighs 160 lb and exercises regularly: 160 ÷ 2.2046 = 72.6 kg. Then 72.6 × 1.4 = 102 g and 72.6 × 2.0 = 145 g, so 100–145 g a day after rounding. Over four meals, that’s about 25–35 g a meal.
How much protein a day for your weight?
| Weight | Mostly inactive (the minimum) | Exercising regularly | Lifting to build or keep muscle | Over 65 (at least this much) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 lb (54 kg) | 45 g | 75–110 g | 85–120 g | 55–65 g |
| 150 lb (68 kg) | 55 g | 95–135 g | 110–150 g | 70–80 g |
| 180 lb (82 kg) | 65 g | 115–165 g | 130–180 g | 80–100 g |
| 210 lb (95 kg) | 75 g | 135–190 g | 150–210 g | 95–115 g |
| 240 lb (109 kg) | 85 g | 150–220 g | 175–240 g | 110–130 g |
Who should ask a professional instead?
These are ranges for healthy adults. If you have kidney disease, the NIDDK advises that you may need to limit protein, so don’t raise it without your doctor or a dietitian. The same goes if you’re pregnant or on a medical diet. Our protein guide covers protein per meal, older adults and food sources in depth.
How does Coachh set your protein?
A little differently, and it’s worth saying so. The app starts from your goal weight: about 0.8 g per pound of goal weight, as a 20 g range (a 170 lb goal gives 140–160 g), and your coach can change it with you. That’s about 1.76 g/kg of goal weight, inside the ranges above for anyone who trains.
Coachh does this for you every day: tell it “2 eggs and toast” or snap a photo and it logs the protein, adds up the day, and keeps your target in view, so you’re not doing this math at every meal. Estimates from a photo are rougher than ones from a sentence or a barcode; how Coachh works explains why.
Common questions
Should I use my current weight or my goal weight?
The research ranges are per kilogram of current body weight, and that's what this calculator uses. The Coachh app starts from your goal weight instead, which gives a lower number for someone with a lot of weight to lose.
Is it possible to eat too much protein?
For healthy people who exercise, the ISSN position stand says concerns about higher protein intakes are unfounded. Kidney disease is different: protein may need to be limited, so follow your doctor or a dietitian rather than a calculator.
How do I convert grams per kilogram to grams per pound?
Divide by 2.2. So 0.8 g/kg is about 0.36 g per pound, 1.6 g/kg about 0.73 g per pound, and 2.2 g/kg about 1.0 g per pound.
Sources
- Optimizing Protein Intake in Adults: Interpretation and Application of the Recommended Dietary Allowance Compared with the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range. Advances in Nutrition (Wolfe RR et al.), 2017.
- International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (Jäger R et al.), 2017.
- A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine (Morton RW et al.), 2018.
- Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (Bauer J et al.), 2013.
- Healthy Eating for Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), 2025.