How much protein do you need to lose fat and keep muscle?

What is the right protein target when you are dieting?

When energy intake drops, the body needs more protein to hold on to muscle. For most exercising adults the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day; in a calorie deficit, targets move higher, and the ISSN notes that 2.3–3.1 g/kg/day may help preserve lean mass in trained people who are cutting. A meta-analysis of 49 trials by Morton and colleagues (2018) found muscle benefits levelled off at about 1.6 g/kg/day on average, although the confidence interval stretched to 2.2 g/kg.

A practical working range for South African gym-goers and recreational athletes is therefore:

If you carry a lot of body fat, work from a goal body weight rather than your current weight, otherwise the number gets unrealistically large.

How should you spread it across the day?

Aim for about 0.4 g/kg per meal over at least four meals (Schoenfeld and Aragon, 2018). For an 80 kg person that is about 32 g at breakfast, lunch, supper and a snack. Some examples of roughly 25–30 g of protein: 100 g cooked chicken breast, 3 large eggs plus a yoghurt, or 70 g of biltong.

Do you need a powder?

No. Powder is a convenience tool for people who struggle to reach the target from food, and it adds few calories per gram of protein. As of October 2026, whey isolate costs from about R93 per 100 g of powder (Primal Whey Isolate 750 g at R700, Dis-Chem Living Fit) to R112–R119 for ATP Fitness isolate (800 g at R900–R950 on shop.atpfit.co.za). USN Isozero (805 g, R899–R909.99 on the USN shop) states 20 g of protein per 23 g scoop. Isolate suits people cutting because it has less lactose, fat and carbohydrate per scoop than concentrate, but muscle outcomes per gram of protein are about the same. See isolate vs concentrate and our best whey isolate comparison.

ATP's isolates are sweetener-free and single-ingredient, which some people prefer. The trade-offs: the shop does not publish protein per serving, the price per 100 g is higher than Primal's, and no third-party sport certification is published. Compare labels before you buy.

What else makes protein work for fat loss?

• Resistance training two to four times a week is the signal that tells the body to keep muscle. Protein without training protects far less.
• A modest deficit of roughly 300–500 kcal a day loses fat with less muscle loss than crash dieting.
• Total daily intake matters more than timing. Shakes straight after training are convenient, not essential.

Who should be careful?

If you have chronic kidney disease, speak to your doctor or a renal dietitian before raising protein. Healthy kidneys are not harmed by these intakes in the research we reviewed. Under-18s, pregnant women and anyone with a history of disordered eating should get individual advice from a registered dietitian rather than following a number from a web page.

For a fuller guide see how much protein per day and what to take during a cutting phase.

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