For Zepbound (tirzepatide), Wegovy and Ozempic (semaglutide). Rapid weight loss costs muscle unless protein goes up. Get your daily protein target, split across meals, in real food; then, further down, a conservative calorie floor and your maintenance number.
Your target is based on this. Already near goal? Leave it blank.
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This is a practical target used in obesity and sports-nutrition guidance, not an FDA dosing requirement. Individual needs vary.
1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of goal weight per day (current weight if you're already near goal) is the usual clinical target during active GLP-1 weight loss. That's above the general guideline, because the goal is to lose the right kind of weight. In rapid-weight-loss trials, a meaningful share of what comes off is lean mass unless protein and resistance training hold it in place.
Over 65: aim for the upper end, since older muscle responds less efficiently to the same protein. Lifting: the upper end too. Doing neither? Protein alone slows muscle loss but doesn't stop it.
Which weight? If you have a lot to lose, use your goal weight. Current weight gives a number that overshoots what muscle actually needs and is hard to eat on a suppressed appetite.
Spreading protein across meals can make the daily target easier to reach, especially with a reduced appetite. Individual needs vary.
Very common in the first few months, and not a failure. In order: eat protein first at every meal, use liquid protein when solid food won't go down, and eat smaller, more frequent meals. Managing nausea helps more than willpower.
What people use to actually hit the number — a scale, and something drinkable for the days food is not happening.
Your maintenance calories (Mifflin-St Jeor), a conservative calorie reference point (not a universal medical minimum), and the protein floor that protects muscle. The medication already reduces what you eat; this is about not going too low, not about cutting further.
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Weekly change is a rough energy-balance estimate (about 3,500 kcal per lb); it does not predict any one person's actual trajectory.
The trial results were not the drug alone. In the main trials, participants also got diet (about a 500 kcal/day deficit) and physical-activity counseling, so results can't be attributed to the drug alone. Whether you count calories is between you and your care team; at minimum, keep an eye on the floor and on protein.
The floor matters more than the ceiling. 1,200 kcal/day (women) and 1,500 kcal/day (men) are conservative reference points, not universal medical minimums. Staying well below them for weeks raises the risk of nutrient shortfalls and muscle loss; do it only with medical supervision. Going lower is not a target; the medication already reduces intake. If appetite puts you under that, the fix is protein and fluid, not willpower.
Protein first, then whatever fits. 1.2–1.6 g per kg of goal weight a day (current weight if you're already near goal), split into 3–4 hits of 25–40 g. The calculator above uses a healthy-range reference weight for your height (BMI 25) when you're over it. Fiber 25–30 g. The rest is preference.
Weigh weekly, not daily. Water swings on a GLP-1 are big. Compare to the trial curve, not to yesterday.
Information, not medical advice. A general guideline, not a personalized nutrition plan. With kidney disease, liver disease, or any condition affecting how you process protein, these targets may not apply — ask the clinician managing your treatment. Some links on this site are affiliate links.
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