Protein is how you keep muscle intact while you lose weight, especially on GLP-1 medication. Find your daily target below.
Five questions about protein: what it does, how much matters when you're losing weight, and what it looks like in real food.
Protein is one of the three main macronutrients in food, alongside carbohydrates and fats. Your body uses it to repair tissue, make hormones and enzymes, support your immune system, and keep your hair, skin, and nails working properly.
Most adults eat some protein every day already. The bigger question is usually whether you're eating enough, particularly when something else is going on, like weight loss, ageing, or medication that suppresses your appetite.
When you eat in a calorie deficit, your body taps into stored energy. Without enough protein, some of that energy comes from breaking down muscle as well as fat. That slows your metabolism and changes how your body looks and feels by the end of treatment.
Eating enough protein protects against that. Research suggests 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is the range that preserves lean muscle while you lose fat. The calculator above gives you a personal number in that range based on your weight and how active you are.
GLP-1 medications like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro suppress appetite and lead to faster weight loss than diet alone. That's the medication doing what it's meant to. But it also means losing muscle becomes a serious risk if your protein intake drops with your overall food intake.
Hitting your daily protein target consistently is one of the most important things you can do to protect your muscle, metabolism, and strength while you're on treatment. If you're a Loome patient, your dietitian works with you on this, and your daily target sits in your app dashboard so you can track it.
For most healthy adults, no. Research suggests up to about 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is well within the safe range, with no measurable impact on kidney, liver, or bone health.
Problems become more likely above 3 grams per kilogram per day, especially without enough water or in people with existing kidney issues. If you have kidney disease or another condition that affects how your body processes protein, speak to a healthcare provider before changing your diet.
A rough guide for what 25–30g of protein looks like:
You don't have to track grams. Aiming for a palm-sized portion of protein at every meal, plus a snack with some protein in it, gets most people close.
Loome is a fully digital weight-loss programme for South African adults. A real clinical team, real ongoing care, and GLP-1 medication where it's the right call. The eligibility check takes two minutes.
Check if I qualifyFor general information only — not medical advice. Speak to a registered healthcare provider if you have questions about your weight, your diet, or your health.