Glossary term

Protein intake

Also known as Dietary protein

0.7-1.0 g per lb of goal lean mass. The single biggest lever for lean-mass preservation on GLP-1.

Adult protein targets sit at 0.7-1.0 g per pound of goal lean body weight - much higher than the RDA of 0.36 g/lb, which was set to prevent deficiency, not optimize composition. At 180 lb goal weight, that's 126-180 g/day. Distribution matters: 30-45 g per meal across 3-4 meals maximizes muscle protein synthesis better than one giant shake. GLP-1 users hit this target harder because total food volume drops - protein shakes, Greek yogurt, and lean meat carry the load. Skip the target and you trade lean mass for short-term scale optics.

Medically reviewed byDr. Lena Okafor, MD

Medical Director - updated April 2026 - How we review