For adults. This is the app's starting-target calculator, not a clinical nutrition prescription. For kidney disease, pregnancy or other medical needs, ask your clinician or dietitian for an individual target.
How do I calculate protein in pounds?
Select Pounds (lb), enter your body weight and choose your goal, training commitment and age group. The calculator converts pounds to kilograms before applying the app multiplier. For example, about 154 lb is 70 kg; the balanced muscle setting returns 125 g/day after rounding. Read the formula and limits below before using the result.
Formula: weight × protein multiplier
Convert pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.20462. Multiply weight in kilograms by the selected factor below. For age 50+, the app increases that estimate by 10%. It then rounds to the nearest 5 grams and caps the displayed target between 60 and 220 grams per day. The age adjustment and caps are product choices, not universal medical recommendations.
| Goal | Light | Balanced | Intense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build muscle | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.0 |
| Lose fat, keep muscle | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.2 |
| General fitness | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.6 |
Research context
The ISSN position stand on protein and exercise describes roughly 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day as sufficient for most people who exercise. It also discusses higher intake during energy restriction. The app's choices are simplified targets within a broader nutrition context; training, food intake and health affect individual needs.
Worked example: 70 kg / about 154 lb
For an adult under 50 with a balanced muscle-building goal: 70 × 1.8 = 126 g. Rounded to the nearest 5 g, the displayed target is 125 g/day. Dividing that target across four eating occasions gives about 31 g each as a planning example, not a required schedule.
How to use the result
Log your usual meals for a week before changing everything. Look at your daily average, then add a familiar protein source where your intake is consistently low. See our food serving examples or daily protein guide.
Why might a result be capped?
If the calculation falls below 60 g or above 220 g, the app returns the nearest limit. That limit is not evidence that your personal needs equal the capped result. Use professional guidance if the weight-based estimate is far from it.
Take your target into a food log
Once you have a target, the next useful step is measuring your usual intake. In Protein Tracker AI, open Today, tap Add Protein and choose a logging method. For a familiar food, use the library and set the portion; for a packaged item, compare a barcode result with its label. Review your entry under Protein Intakes.
A calculator result is a starting estimate, not a reason to force every meal into the same size. Read the iPhone logging walkthrough or the protein-first routine to see the next steps.