The protein number 90% of new clients miss

The number

Roughly **1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, every day**. For a 75 kg man training seriously, that is around 130 to 160 grams a day. For a 60 kg woman, around 100 to 130. For a 95 kg lifter chasing serious mass, closer to 200. Hit that consistently and you have solved most of what people think they need supplements for.

I have been coaching for thirty years. I won NABBA Mr UK in 1998 and spent a decade as a sponsored athlete and seminar speaker for some of the world's biggest sports-nutrition brands. In all that time, the single most common diet mistake I see in new client food logs is this one. Not "the wrong carbs" — not "too many calories" — just **not enough protein, consistently**.

Why most people undershoot

The mistake is almost always the same: protein gets added on top of a normal day instead of designed into it. People eat their usual breakfast, snack, lunch, and dinner — then bolt on a shake at the end. They end up around 70 to 90 grams a day and wonder why nothing is changing.

The other big undershoot pattern is the "I had a high-protein day" memory bias. People remember the chicken-breast lunch and feel good about it, forget the 600-calorie breakfast that had 8 grams of protein, forget the snack that had 4. Open the actual food log over a full week and the average comes in 30 to 50 grams under target every single time.

What 150 grams actually looks like in real food

You do not need exotic foods. You need to plan four touch-points that each deliver 30 to 40 grams.

**Breakfast (35-40 g):** Three whole eggs (~18 g) + 250 g Greek yoghurt (~18 g) + a slice of rye bread. Or 80 g porridge oats + 30 g whey + 250 ml milk. Or 200 g cottage cheese on toast with two boiled eggs.

**Lunch (35-45 g):** A 150 g chicken breast (~45 g) with rice and salad. Or two 80 g tins of tuna in olive oil on a wrap. Or 200 g lean beef stir-fried with vegetables and noodles.

**Mid-afternoon (25-35 g):** 200 g cottage cheese with a piece of fruit. Or a 30 g whey shake plus a handful of nuts. Or two boiled eggs with cheese on rice cakes.

**Dinner (35-50 g):** A 180 g salmon fillet with potatoes and broccoli. Or a 220 g lean steak with roasted vegetables. Or a chicken and prawn stir-fry with 200 g of protein source by weight.

Add those up: easily 130 to 170 grams without trying hard. The whey shake is optional — it is a convenience, not a requirement.

The math you should run on yourself this week

Get a food-tracking app for one week. Eat exactly as you usually do — do not change anything for this measurement. Log everything honestly, including the bites and tastes that "do not count". At the end of the week, take the seven daily totals, average them, divide by your bodyweight in kg.

If your number is below 1.4 g/kg, you have your single biggest leverage point. Lifting the protein will:

- drop hunger by 30 to 50% within the first week, - hold strength during a fat-loss phase, - improve recovery between training sessions, - allow more total food at the same waistline (protein has a high thermic effect), - and improve the way you look in the mirror within four weeks even if you change nothing else.

The clients who fight me hardest on this are almost always the ones below 1.2 g/kg. Once they finally hit the number consistently for a month, they stop fighting.

Protein sources beyond chicken breast and powder

A common reason clients fail to hit the number is **menu fatigue**. They try to live on chicken breast, broccoli, and protein shakes for two weeks, get bored, and quit. The solution is to widen the rotation.

**Animal proteins (in protein per 100 g cooked weight):** chicken breast ~30 g, lean beef mince 5% fat ~26 g, tuna in olive oil ~27 g, salmon ~25 g, tilapia or cod ~22 g, pork tenderloin ~28 g, lamb leg ~27 g, prawns ~25 g, lean ham ~22 g, turkey breast ~30 g.

**Dairy and eggs (per 100 g):** Greek yoghurt 0% fat ~10 g, cottage cheese ~12 g, whole egg ~13 g (about 6.5 g per egg), parmesan ~36 g, mozzarella ~22 g, feta ~14 g, hard cheese ~25 g, whey isolate ~85 g (per scoop ~25 g).

**Plant proteins (per 100 g cooked):** lentils ~9 g, chickpeas ~9 g, black beans ~9 g, tofu ~12 g, tempeh ~19 g, edamame ~11 g, seitan ~25 g, oats dry ~13 g, quinoa cooked ~4 g, hemp seeds ~31 g.

Vegetarian and vegan lifters absolutely can hit the number. It takes more planning — typically a daily lean-tofu or tempeh meal, a Greek-yoghurt anchor if dairy is OK, and one good vegan protein powder. I have prepped vegan clients for the contest stage. The protein is achievable on plants; it just needs deliberate construction.

The four myths that keep people undershooting

**Myth 1: "Your body can only absorb 30 grams of protein at a time."** Wrong. This myth came from a 2009 study on muscle protein synthesis rates and got mangled in translation. Your body absorbs every gram of protein you eat. The synthesis rate caps around 25-30 g per meal — but the rest of the protein still serves daily turnover, gut health, immune function, and hormone synthesis. Spreading 150 g across four meals is convenient; eating 80 g in one sitting still gets digested.

**Myth 2: "Too much protein damages the kidneys."** In healthy individuals, no. The 2018 meta-analysis and the 2020 review in Nutrients both concluded that 2-3 g/kg/day in healthy adults shows no kidney harm. If you have pre-existing kidney disease, talk to your doctor. If you are healthy, this is a non-issue.

**Myth 3: "Plant protein doesn't count."** Plant protein counts. It is lower in leucine per gram than animal protein, so you might need slightly more total grams (1.8-2.4 g/kg) to hit the same muscle-protein-synthesis signal — but it works. The vegan athlete population proves it.

**Myth 4: "Protein timing matters more than the daily total."** Wrong. The daily total is everything. Within reason, four meals of 35 g each beats two meals of 70 g, but a steady 130 g a day at any meal timing beats a perfectly timed 100 g day every time. Get the daily number first. Optimise timing later.

The protein change you will feel first

Most clients tell me by week three of hitting the number consistently that they feel "fuller for longer" — which is just protein doing its job at the satiety level. Protein is by far the most filling macronutrient per calorie. You will not crave the 4 pm cookie the same way. You will not need the post-dinner snack. You will not feel ravenous when you wake up.

Body composition starts shifting in week four to six. The scale might not move dramatically yet, but the mirror starts changing because you are holding muscle on a controlled deficit. By week eight the photos look different. By week twelve the new clothes fit differently. The thing nobody tells you about a high-protein diet is that it is the most pleasant fat-loss phase you will ever experience. Hunger barely exists.

What to do this week

1. **Measure.** One honest week of tracking — no changes, just data. 2. **Calculate your target.** Your bodyweight in kg × 1.8 = your daily target in grams. (For most people aiming at lean physique gains. Use 1.6 g/kg as a floor; 2.2 g/kg if you are very lean or in a deep cut.) 3. **Plan four touch-points.** Breakfast, lunch, afternoon, dinner. Each delivers 25-40 g. Write down the actual food list. 4. **Stock the food.** Do one big shop for the week. If it is not in the fridge on Wednesday evening, it does not get eaten Wednesday evening. 5. **Track for four weeks straight.** Most days you will hit within 10 g of target. That is enough.

After four weeks, you will know your daily numbers without an app. The skill is portable for the rest of your life.

FAQ

**Do I need a protein shake?** No, but it is convenient. A 30 g scoop of whey isolate is a fast 25 g of high-quality protein for €1. Useful when life is busy. Not magical.

**Should I eat protein before bed?** Casein protein is slow-digesting and was hyped for nighttime use. Modern research shows it is fine but not required. Eat your dinner protein and sleep.

**Can I get all my protein from food without supplements?** Absolutely yes. Many of my pro-bodybuilder clients have. Whey is a convenience product, not a necessity.

**Is whey better than casein better than plant protein?** Whey isolate is the gold standard for digestion and amino-acid profile. Casein is fine. Pea + rice blends are fine. The differences are marginal; the daily total dominates.

**What about creatine, BCAAs, EAAs?** Creatine yes (5 g daily, no loading needed, cheapest performance supplement in the world). BCAAs and EAAs — skip if your daily protein is hit. They are redundant when your protein is 150 g.

When you are ready to stop guessing at your nutrition and have a real plan that adjusts every week to your data, apply for coaching. I read every application personally and reply within 48 hours.