How much protein should I eat on a GLP-1 medication?

Why protein matters on a GLP-1 medication

GLP-1 medications reduce appetite, so most people eat less overall.^[1] When you lose weight, part of what you lose is lean mass, which includes muscle, not only fat.^[2]

Eating enough protein, together with strength training, helps you keep more of that muscle.^[1][3] Protein on its own is not enough: the joint advisory on nutrition with GLP-1 therapy stresses that it works alongside regular strength training.^[1] Muscle matters for strength, balance and everyday tasks, and more so as you get older.

How much protein, in grams

The standard reference amount for adults is 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day. Higher amounts, such as 1.2 to 1.6 g per kilogram, have been proposed for people who are actively losing weight.^[1] For adults over 65, an expert group recommends at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kilogram, and more for those who exercise.^[4]

Our calculator works with a range of 1.0 to 1.6 g per kilogram. Where you sit in it depends on your age, how active you are and how often you strength train. The table shows the whole span for a few reference weights.

If your weight is well above the usual range for your height, using your current weight can overestimate how much protein you need. Dietitians often use an adjusted weight instead.^[1] The calculator does this for you.

How to spread it across the day

Your body seems to use protein better in regular amounts than in one large meal. In a small study of healthy adults, eating about 30 g of protein at each of three meals led to more muscle protein being built over a day than eating most of it at dinner.^[5] Three habits make that easier:

• Include a protein food at every meal, and at one snack if you have room.
• Eat the protein part of your plate first, before you feel full.^[1]
• Keep easy options ready, such as yoghurt, eggs, tofu, tinned fish or milk.

If you’re not hungry

Smaller portions, more often, are usually easier than three full meals. Soft and cold foods can be gentler on days with nausea. Drinks such as milk or a protein shake can fill a gap when solid food is hard to face.^[1]

Read: how to eat enough protein when you’re not hungry

When to talk to a clinician first

Check with your doctor, dietitian or prescriber before changing how much protein you eat if you:

• have kidney or liver disease
• are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or breastfeeding
• have, or have had, an eating disorder
• have had weight-loss surgery, or follow a diet set by a clinician