How much protein on a GLP-1

The published figures disagree, and averaging them would produce a number nobody wrote, so each one is here with its name attached.

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025 to 2030 (USDA and HHS, January 2026): 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, adjusting as needed based on your individual caloric requirements. MedlinePlus restates it as the goal for adults and children (MedlinePlus, reviewed February 9, 2026).
• ACLM, ASN, OMA and TOS advisory for people on GLP-1 therapy (Obesity Pillars, June 2025): 1.2 to 2.0 g per kg of adjusted body weight per day during major weight reduction. Higher targets of 1.2 to 1.7 g per kg of body weight per day have been proposed during strength training. Alternatively, an absolute target of 80 to 120 g a day may enhance adherence while ensuring adequate intake.
• The long-standing RDA: 0.8 g protein per kg of body weight per day, set the same for healthy adults of all ages (ESPEN Expert Group, Clinical Nutrition 2014).
• MedlinePlus (updated March 24, 2026): 10% to 35% of your total calorie needs for healthy adults, with the example that a person on a 2,000-calorie diet could eat 100 grams of protein, 20% of their calories.

Two sets of figures are written for adults over 65. The PROT-AGE Study Group recommends at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg per day, 1.2 g per kg or more for those who are exercising and otherwise active, and 1.2 to 1.5 g per kg for most older adults with acute or chronic disease (PROT-AGE, JAMDA 2013). The ESPEN Expert Group says at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg for healthy older people, and 1.2 to 1.5 g per kg for older people who are malnourished or at risk because of illness (ESPEN, 2014).

The advisory writes its range against adjusted body weight, and the Dietary Guidelines write theirs against body weight, so the same person can get two different gram counts. Ask your dietitian which weight to multiply by.

The 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg figure is new, and it has published critics. Six nutrition researchers writing in The Journal of Nutrition say the recommendation relies on a rapid systematic review of randomized controlled trials focused on weight-management outcomes (Pasiakos et al., J Nutr, July 24, 2026). Their central view is that evidence derived from weight loss studies does not provide a sufficient scope of evidence to support a universal dietary protein recommendation for all Americans across the lifespan, and they say the Guidelines give limited attention to protein and chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and bone disease (Pasiakos et al., 2026).

Several of the authors disclose consulting fees, honoraria, or grants from beef and dairy groups (Pasiakos et al., 2026).

Both labels say the drug takes more fat than lean mass. Semaglutide lowers body weight with greater fat mass loss than lean mass loss (Wegovy Prescribing Information, revised February 2026), and the Zepbound label says the same of tirzepatide (Zepbound Prescribing Information, revised January 2026).

The advisory puts numbers on it from the STEP 1 trial's body scans: of the average 13.6 kg weight reduction, 8.3 kg (62%) was fat mass and 5.3 kg (38%) was lean body mass, which it says corresponds to about 20% of total weight reduction being muscle loss (ACLM/ASN/OMA/TOS, June 2025). It estimates 10 to 15% of total weight reduction in women and 20 to 25% in men is muscle, in the absence of structured strength training (ACLM/ASN/OMA/TOS, June 2025).

A network meta-analysis of 22 randomized trials found lean mass made up approximately 25% of the total weight lost on GLP-1 drugs, while relative lean mass, measured as percentage change from baseline, was unaffected (Karakasis et al., Metabolism, March 2025). It found tirzepatide 15 mg and semaglutide 2.4 mg the most effective for weight and fat mass reduction and among the least effective at preserving lean mass (Karakasis et al., 2025). The advisory adds that the scans in these studies measure muscle mass and leave muscle health, quality, and function unmeasured (ACLM/ASN/OMA/TOS, June 2025).

The advisory is direct about the limit of protein: increased protein intake alone is likely inadequate to support the preservation of muscle mass in the absence of structured resistance or strength training (ACLM/ASN/OMA/TOS, June 2025).

The two published frequencies differ. The advisory recommends regular strength training at least 3 times weekly plus at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise weekly to preserve muscle and bone mass (ACLM/ASN/OMA/TOS, June 2025). The CDC's adult guideline is 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity each week working all major muscle groups, the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms, plus 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (CDC, last reviewed December 20, 2023). Three days is the figure written for people on these drugs, and two is the figure written for all adults.

PROT-AGE and ESPEN both pair their protein figures with exercise for older adults, recommending endurance and resistance exercise at individualized levels that are safe and tolerated (PROT-AGE, 2013), and daily physical activity or exercise for all older people, for as long as possible (ESPEN, 2014).

The arithmetic is multiplication, and the choice of source changes the answer. For someone weighing 80 kg (about 176 lb), the Dietary Guidelines' 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg works out to 96 to 128 g a day. The advisory's absolute target is 80 to 120 g a day whatever the weight (ACLM/ASN/OMA/TOS, June 2025). The old RDA of 0.8 g per kg would be 64 g (ESPEN, 2014).

The advisory also prints a floor and a ceiling. Protein intake in adults should not fall below 0.4 to 0.5 g per kg per day, as this can lead to muscle atrophy and functional impairments, and prolonged intake above 2 g per kg per day should be avoided due to potential adverse health effects (ACLM/ASN/OMA/TOS, June 2025).

The Dietary Guidelines list eggs, poultry, seafood, and red meat, and plant sources including beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy, and they count dairy as an excellent source of protein (DGA, January 2026). MedlinePlus adds skinless chicken or turkey, lean cuts of beef and pork, fish and shellfish, low-fat dairy, tofu, tempeh, and whole grains (MedlinePlus, Protein in Diet, updated March 24, 2026).

The Guidelines and the advisory differ on which of those to lean on. The advisory asks clinicians to steer people away from red and processed meats (ACLM/ASN/OMA/TOS, June 2025), and the Guidelines list red meat among the protein foods to prioritize (DGA, January 2026).

On the days food is hard to face, the advisory says some people meet protein targets by supplementing with high-protein shakes, bars, and fortified products (ACLM/ASN/OMA/TOS, June 2025). It also says foods high in protein, fat, or fiber can further slow gastric emptying, and that smaller, more frequent meals help with nausea (ACLM/ASN/OMA/TOS, June 2025).

The sources that raise protein also name who should be careful. PROT-AGE makes one exception to its higher figures: older people with severe kidney disease, an estimated GFR under 30, who are not on dialysis may need to limit protein intake (PROT-AGE, 2013). The Journal of Nutrition critique lists chronic kidney disease among the conditions the new federal guidance gives limited attention to (Pasiakos et al., 2026). The advisory's ceiling, avoiding prolonged intake above 2 g per kg per day, is written for all adults (ACLM/ASN/OMA/TOS, June 2025).

If you have kidney disease or any instruction from a clinician about protein, that instruction outranks every figure on this page.

I count protein from what you text or photograph and keep the running total through the day, against whichever target you and your prescriber or dietitian chose. When the day is falling short, I suggest something small that closes the gap. I put your strength sessions on the calendar at the frequency you picked, and I ask after each one.

I never set your protein target, never pick between the Guidelines and the advisory for you, and never change or skip a dose of your medication. If you have kidney disease and haven't asked about protein, I tell you to ask.

No clinician reviewed this page. It restates the Dietary Guidelines, the ACLM, ASN, OMA and TOS advisory, ESPEN, PROT-AGE, the Journal of Nutrition perspective, the network meta-analysis, the FDA labels, MedlinePlus, and the CDC, linked below, and those are the documents to trust over anything here.