A high-protein diet for weight loss means eating about 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day (0.5 to 0.7 g per pound) while you stay in a calorie deficit. For a 180-lb (82 kg) person, that's roughly 100 to 130 g of protein a day, or about 25 to 35% of calories.
If you lift weights, going up to about 1 g per pound (2.2 g/kg) is reasonable. Protein won't cancel out eating too much, but it makes a deficit easier to stick to and helps you keep muscle.
Key takeaways
- Target: 1.2-1.6 g/kg a day for most people losing weight; up to 2.2 g/kg if you strength train.
- Why it works: protein is the most filling macro, costs more calories to digest, and protects muscle in a deficit.
- The effect is real but modest: about 0.8 kg (1.7 lb) more weight lost and more muscle kept, across 24 trials.
- Best foods per calorie: shrimp, light tuna, turkey and chicken breast, nonfat Greek yogurt, cottage cheese.
How much protein do you need to lose weight?
The RDA of 0.8 g/kg is set to prevent deficiency in people who aren't trying to lose weight. A review of weight-loss research by Leidy and colleagues in 2015 points to 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg for losing fat and keeping it off. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) puts most people who exercise at 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg.
| Body weight | 1.2-1.6 g/kg (most people) | 2.2 g/kg (strength training) |
|---|---|---|
| 130 lb (59 kg) | 71-94 g | 130 g |
| 155 lb (70 kg) | 84-112 g | 155 g |
| 180 lb (82 kg) | 98-131 g | 180 g |
| 205 lb (93 kg) | 112-149 g | 205 g |
| 230 lb (104 kg) | 125-167 g | 229 g |
If you have a lot of weight to lose, a per-kilogram target based on your current weight can come out very high. Using your goal weight instead keeps the number realistic. The protein calculator does the math for you, and our guide to protein for body recomposition covers the higher targets for lifters.
Why a high-protein diet helps with weight loss
It keeps you fuller
In a 2005 study by Weigle and colleagues, 19 adults raised protein from 15% to 30% of calories while keeping carbs the same. Once they could eat as much as they wanted, they ate 441 fewer calories a day on their own and lost 4.9 kg (11 lb), 3.7 kg of it fat, over 12 weeks. It was a small study, but it's the clearest look at how filling protein can be.
It costs more calories to digest
Your body uses energy to digest food. According to a 2004 review by Westerterp, that cost is 20-30% of the calories in protein, against 5-10% for carbs and 0-3% for fat. On a typical mixed diet, digestion uses 5-15% of your daily calories, and more protein moves you toward the top of that range.
It protects muscle while you eat less
A 2012 meta-analysis of 24 trials (1,063 people, about 12 weeks each) compared higher-protein and standard-protein diets with the same calories. The higher-protein groups lost 0.79 kg more weight and 0.87 kg more fat, lost 0.43 kg less lean mass, and their resting metabolism dropped less.
The effect grows when you train hard. In a 2016 study, young men in a steep deficit who did intense workouts six days a week ate either 2.4 or 1.2 g/kg. The high-protein group gained 1.2 kg of lean mass and lost 4.8 kg of fat in four weeks; the lower-protein group gained 0.1 kg and lost 3.5 kg.
Best high-protein foods for weight loss
Ranked by protein per 100 calories, from USDA FoodData Central. Cooked weights unless noted.
| Food (portion) | Calories (kcal) | Protein (g) | Protein per 100 kcal (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shrimp, cooked (3 oz, 85 g) | 84 | 20.4 | 24.2 |
| Light tuna in water, drained (4 oz, 113 g) | 102 | 21.5 | 21.1 |
| Turkey breast, roasted (4 oz, 113 g) | 166 | 34.0 | 20.5 |
| Chicken breast, roasted (4 oz, 113 g) | 186 | 35.1 | 18.8 |
| Cottage cheese, 1% (1 cup, 226 g) | 163 | 28.0 | 17.2 |
| Nonfat plain Greek yogurt (170 g) | 104 | 17.5 | 16.9 |
| Firm tofu (1/2 cup, 126 g) | 181 | 21.8 | 12.0 |
| Salmon, farmed (4 oz, 113 g) | 233 | 25.0 | 10.7 |
| Edamame (1 cup, 155 g) | 188 | 18.5 | 9.8 |
| Eggs, hard-boiled (2 large, 100 g) | 155 | 12.6 | 8.1 |
| Lentils (1 cup, 198 g) | 230 | 17.9 | 7.8 |
Leaner isn't always better. Salmon, eggs and edamame bring fat or fiber that make a meal more satisfying, and lentils give you 15.6 g of fiber per cup. For dairy picks, see cottage cheese vs Greek yogurt. If you don't eat meat, the vegan protein sources guide lists options by serving.
A high-protein day of eating
This day comes to about 1,854 calories and 164 g of protein (35% of calories), which is about 2.0 g/kg for a 180-lb person. Values are from USDA FoodData Central.
| Meal | What to eat | Calories (kcal) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Nonfat Greek yogurt (170 g), 1/2 cup rolled oats (40 g dry), 1/2 cup blueberries, 2 hard-boiled eggs | 452 | 36 |
| Lunch | 5 oz (142 g) chicken breast, 1/2 cup lentils, salad with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 medium apple | 563 | 53 |
| Snack | 1 cup 1% cottage cheese, 1 oz (28 g) almonds | 332 | 34 |
| Dinner | 4 oz (113 g) salmon, 1/2 cup brown rice, 2 cups broccoli, 1/2 cup edamame | 506 | 41 |
| Total | 1,854 | 164 |
It also has about 32 g of fiber. To scale it down, cut the oats, rice and almonds before you cut the protein foods. For a week of prepped meals built the same way, see high-protein meal prep.
How to spread protein across the day
Most people eat little protein at breakfast and most of it at dinner. A more even split is easier on your appetite and works better for muscle.
- Per meal: aim for about 0.4 g/kg, or 25-40 g for most adults, across at least four meals. That's the distribution Schoenfeld and Aragon suggest for building muscle.
- Breakfast: eggs, Greek yogurt or cottage cheese get you to 30 g without cooking much.
- Around workouts: the ISSN says 20-40 g before or after training both work. Your daily total matters more than the exact timing.
- Snacks: a protein snack takes the edge off afternoon hunger. Our list of high-protein snacks for weight loss has 25 options.
Common high-protein diet mistakes
- Forgetting calories still count. Fatty cuts, cheese and nut butters are high in protein and high in calories. Protein helps you eat less; it doesn't make extra food free.
- Counting on bars and shakes. They're handy, but some bars carry 15 g of sugar or more, so read the label. Use them to fill gaps, not as most of your intake.
- Guessing your intake. Most people don't know how much protein they eat until they log it for a week. Our guide to macros vs calories explains how to track calories plus a protein target.
- Cutting carbs and fiber too far. You need fiber from beans, whole grains, fruit and vegetables to stay full and regular. The sample day above keeps both.
Is a high-protein diet safe?
The National Academies' acceptable range for protein is 10-35% of calories, and the targets on this page sit inside it for most people.
If you have kidney disease, diabetes or another health condition, talk to your doctor before you raise your protein. Set your overall calorie target with the calorie deficit calculator, then track it in Nutrify, which logs a meal from a photo and shows your protein for the day.
Sources
- Leidy HJ, et al. The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance. Am J Clin Nutr, 2015.
- Jager R, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2017.
- Weigle DS, et al. A high-protein diet induces sustained reductions in appetite, ad libitum caloric intake, and body weight. Am J Clin Nutr, 2005.
- Westerterp KR. Diet induced thermogenesis. Nutr Metab, 2004.
- Wycherley TP, et al. Effects of energy-restricted high-protein, low-fat compared with standard-protein, low-fat diets: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr, 2012.
- Longland TM, et al. Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise. Am J Clin Nutr, 2016.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2018.
- USDA FoodData Central: FDC IDs 175180, 334194, 171496, 171477, 173417, 330137, 172475, 175168, 168411, 173424, 172421, 173904, 171711, 171413, 171688, 168596, 169704, 169967.
- National Academies. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids, 2005.
