How much protein on a GLP-1?
A widely used guideline for people losing weight while trying to keep muscle is roughly 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, with some sports-nutrition guidance going higher during a large deficit. For many adults on a GLP-1 that lands somewhere between 90 and 140 grams a day. The number matters less than the consistency: hitting a moderate target every day beats hitting a high one twice a week.
Working out your number
Take your body weight in kilograms and multiply by 1.2 for a floor and 1.6 for a target. Someone at 85 kg lands between 102 g and 136 g a day. If you carry a lot of excess weight, calculating from a target weight rather than current weight gives a more sensible figure. This is one worth asking your pharmacist or a dietitian about rather than guessing at extremes.
The real problem is not the number
Almost nobody on a GLP-1 struggles to understand the target. They struggle to eat on days one and two after the injection, when a chicken breast looks like a mountain. So the useful question is not "how much protein" but "how do I get 100 grams into someone who does not want to eat".
Protein per volume, which is what actually matters on a bad day
| Food | Rough protein | Why it works when appetite is low |
|---|---|---|
| Whey or milk protein shake | 20–25 g | Liquid, no chewing, sips over an hour |
| Greek yoghurt, 170 g pot | 15–17 g | Cold, small, goes down when hot food will not |
| Two eggs | 12–13 g | Small portion, easy on the stomach |
| Tin of tuna | 25 g | No cooking, tiny volume |
| Cottage cheese, 100 g | 11–12 g | Mild, cold, spoonable |
| Skyr or high-protein fromage frais | 15–20 g | Sweet enough to appeal when savoury does not |
| Chicken breast, 150 g | 45 g | Best value by volume: save it for return days |
Six things that make the target reachable
- Front-load. Get 30–40 g in at breakfast, before the day has a chance to go badly.
- Drink some of it. On suppression days, liquid protein is often the difference between 40 g and 100 g.
- Small and often beats three meals. Five 20 g hits are easier than two 50 g ones.
- Keep a fallback in the fridge that needs no cooking. Decision-making is the first thing to go when you feel rough.
- Do not chase the number on your worst day. Aim for your floor, take the win, move on.
- Log roughly rather than not at all. An estimate you record is more useful than a perfect entry you never make.
Timing across the day
Spreading protein into three or four servings across the day is generally reported to support muscle retention better than one large evening meal, which is doubly relevant on a GLP-1, where a large evening meal may be exactly what you cannot manage.
How Recompose handles this
Recompose sets your target, then changes what it suggests depending on where you are in your shot week (dense low-volume options on suppression days, whole meals on return days) and lets you log a rough gram estimate in one tap when a full food diary is beyond you. See protein and food logging.
Common questions
How many grams of protein a day on Mounjaro?
Commonly cited guidance for preserving muscle during weight loss is around 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg of body weight per day, which for many adults works out between 90 and 140 g. Individual needs vary, and anyone with kidney concerns should ask their clinician first.
Are protein shakes a good idea on a GLP-1?
For many people they are the most practical option on low-appetite days, because liquid protein needs no appetite and no cooking. They are a supplement to food rather than a replacement for it.
What if I cannot hit my protein target at all on some days?
That is normal on the days straight after an injection. Aim for your floor rather than your target on those days, and make it up across the return days when appetite comes back. Weekly consistency matters more than any single day.
Try Recompose
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