How much protein on a GLP-1?

How much protein should I eat a day, generally?

For a sedentary adult, general nutrition guidance is around 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day — a baseline to prevent deficiency, not a target for anyone trying to build or preserve muscle. Anyone training regularly, in a calorie deficit, or over 40 (when muscle loss accelerates with age) is usually better served by 1.2–2.2g/kg. Being on a GLP-1 medication puts you in that higher bracket for a specific reason: the calorie deficit is often steeper and faster than a typical diet produces, which raises the stakes on protein specifically.

Why the target is higher on a GLP-1

GLP-1 medications (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound) suppress appetite enough that total calorie intake drops sharply — and protein is usually the first macronutrient to fall short, since it takes more deliberate eating than carbs or fat. A 2024 review in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism found lean tissue made up roughly 15% or less of total weight lost in some studies and 40–60% in others — and protein intake and resistance training are among the strongest predictors of where anyone lands in that range. Hitting the higher end of the 1.2–1.6g/kg range is one of the few levers that directly protects against it.

See the actual trial data behind this number →

Your target by weight

Find your weight, then pick a column based on training frequency — 1.2 if you train regularly and are earlier in titration, 1.6 if you train little or are further into treatment.

Don't see your exact weight? Use the free calculator for an exact number, plus a muscle-loss risk score based on your medication.

How to find your exact number

Multiply your body weight in kilograms by a number between 1.2 and 1.6 — higher if you do little resistance training or are further into treatment, lower if you train regularly and are earlier in titration. MALAI's free calculator does this math for you and adds a muscle-loss risk score based on your medication and training frequency.

Hitting the number when you're not hungry

Front-load protein at the meal where appetite is highest, and reach for protein-dense, low-volume foods — Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, a shake — rather than large portions of meat. Most people on a GLP-1 find 4–5 small, protein-forward meals easier to hit than three large ones. If a full meal feels impossible, a shake closes the gap faster than trying to force down solid food — just don't make it the entire strategy; whole foods keep you fuller longer on an already-suppressed appetite.

Splitting the same daily grams across more meals has a second benefit worth knowing about: the load arriving at once is what sits in a stomach that is emptying slowly, which is the starting point for sulfur burps and belching. Total protein is what protects muscle; portion size is what you adjust.

By medication

Dose and drug class change the specifics slightly. See the full breakdown:

• Protein on ozempic →
• Protein on wegovy →
• Protein on mounjaro →
• Protein on zepbound →

Frequently asked questions

How much protein should I eat a day?

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Baseline protein needs sit around 0.8g per kilogram of body weight per day for a sedentary adult. A 2025 joint advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association and the Obesity Society proposed 1.2–1.6g/kg during active weight reduction, and that is the range to work in on a GLP-1 — appetite suppression makes it easy to fall short of even the baseline without noticing. The same advisory offers 80–120g a day as a simpler alternative.

How do I work out my own protein target in grams?

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Multiply your body weight in kilograms by 1.2 for the floor and by 1.6 for the ceiling, then split the result across 3-4 eating occasions. At 82kg that is 98-131g a day, or roughly 25-35g a meal. The weight table above does the arithmetic for common weights; the free calculator adds your medication and training frequency and returns a muscle-loss risk score alongside the number.

What happens if I don't hit my protein target on a GLP-1?

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Falling short while in a calorie deficit raises the share of weight lost that comes from lean tissue rather than fat. A 2024 review in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism put that share at roughly 15% or less in some studies and 40–60% in others, with protein intake and resistance training among the strongest predictors of where anyone lands. Occasional shortfalls are not a crisis; a consistent pattern over months of treatment is.

Can I hit my protein target with shakes alone?

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You can, but whole foods (Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, chicken) alongside one or two shakes tends to be more sustainable and satiating than shakes alone, especially since appetite is already suppressed. Use shakes to close the gap on days you're short, not as the entire strategy.