BodyCalThe daily target
The bare minimum to avoid deficiency is about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, but that's a floor, not a goal. Active women, and any woman trying to lose fat or tone up, do far better on 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram per day. For a 68 kg (150 lb) woman, that's roughly 80 to 135 grams a day.
If your main goal is fat loss, aim for the higher end — around 1.6 to 2.0 g/kg — because protein is what protects your muscle while you're in a calorie deficit and keeps you feeling full.
Why women often fall short
Many women unintentionally under-eat protein, especially when dieting, because cutting calories often means cutting the protein-rich foods along with everything else. The result is losing weight but also losing muscle, which leaves you softer rather than more toned and slows your metabolism.
Prioritising protein flips that: you hold onto muscle, look more defined as fat comes off, and stay fuller on fewer calories. It's the single most useful change most women can make to a weight-loss diet.
How to spread it out
Your body uses protein best in moderate amounts across the day rather than one big hit. Aim for roughly 20 to 40 grams per meal across three or four meals. In practice that means building each meal around a protein source rather than adding it as an afterthought.
Strong choices include chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, tofu, tempeh, lentils, and beans. A scoop of whey or plant protein is an easy way to top up a meal or snack that falls short.
Does more protein help?
Up to a point. Beyond about 2.2 g/kg there's little extra benefit for muscle or fat loss, though the extra protein is safe for healthy women and can still help with fullness. Women with existing kidney conditions should follow their doctor's guidance. For everyone else, landing anywhere in the recommended range is the win.
Work out your exact target with our protein calculator, then use the macro calculator to fit protein into your overall calories and build the rest of your day around it.