How much protein do you need on a GLP-1?
Put your numbers in. Your target updates as you type, so the weight you lose comes off fat, not muscle.
Your numbers
More activity pushes you toward the top of the range, where you want to be to hold muscle while you lose.
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There is no single agreed formula
Protein targets during medically-induced weight loss are still an area of active guidance, and no one number is settled. This tool follows the approach used in the 2025 obesity-medicine literature: it sizes protein to your adjusted body weight rather than your current weight, so you are not counting protein for fat you are working to lose, and not shortchanging the lean mass you want to keep.
Adjusted body weight starts from the Devine ideal weight for your height and sex, then adds a quarter of the gap between that and your current weight, so protein is sized to your frame, not your fat. Protein is then set at 0.55 to 0.9 g per pound of that adjusted weight, higher the more active you are and the more you have to lose, and never allowed to fall below an 80 g per day floor. This is the muscle-preservation target for rapid weight loss, well above the 0.36 g/lb (0.8 g/kg) RDA, which is only a floor for sedentary adults.
Sources
- Mechanick JI, Butsch WS, Christensen SM, Hamdy O, Li Z, Prado CM, Heymsfield SB. Strategies for minimizing muscle loss during use of incretin-mimetic drugs for treatment of obesity. Obesity Reviews. 2025;26(1):e13841. doi:10.1111/obr.13841. Source of the ideal- and adjusted-body-weight conventions and the 60 g/day floor.
- Prado CM, Phillips SM, Gonzalez MC, Heymsfield SB. Muscle matters: the effects of medically induced weight loss on skeletal muscle. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. 2024;12(11):785–787. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(24)00272-9.
- Mozaffarian D, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint Advisory (ACLM, ASN, OMA, TOS). The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2025;122:344–367. Full text.
- Cava E, Yeat NC, Mittendorfer B. Preserving healthy muscle during weight loss. Advances in Nutrition. 2017;8(3):511–519. doi:10.3945/an.116.014506.
- Bauer J, Biolo G, Cederholm T, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people (PROT-AGE). JAMDA. 2013;14(8):542–559. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2013.05.021. Basis for higher protein in adults 65+.
- Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in overweight or obesity (STEP 1). NEJM. 2021;384(11):989–1002. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2032183.
- Jastreboff AM, Aronne LJ, Ahmad NN, et al. Tirzepatide once weekly for obesity (SURMOUNT-1). NEJM. 2022;387(3):205–216. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2206038.
- Chaston TB, Dixon JB, O'Brien PE. Changes in fat-free mass during significant weight loss: a systematic review. International Journal of Obesity. 2007;31(5):743–750. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803483.
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. National Academies Press, 2005. doi:10.17226/10490. Source of the 0.8 g/kg RDA.
- US Dept of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd ed., 2018. health.gov.
This is a general educational estimate, not medical or nutrition advice. Protein needs are individual and depend on kidney health, labs, and clinical context. Talk to your provider or a registered dietitian before making changes. This tool does not diagnose, treat, or guarantee any outcome.
Peak Wellness · Compounded semaglutide & tirzepatide, prescribed by licensed providers.