Radical Health · Radical Fat Loss · Protein floor vs goal
The one number to never miss

Protein floor vs goal.

Your protein floor is the line you never cross. Your protein goal is what you aim for on a good day. Treating them as the same thing is why protein feels stressful — here's the difference, and why the floor is the one that matters most.

Two numbers, two jobs

A floor and a goal
are not the same.

Your protein floor is the daily minimum that defends muscle. Miss everything else — bad day, no appetite, eating on the run — and this is the one thing to still hit. Think of it as roughly 1.6 g per kg of your goal weight. It's pass/fail and non-negotiable.

Your protein goal (or target) is the optimal aim — the level that gives the best muscle protection plus the satiety that makes a deficit easier. That sits around 2.0–2.2 g per kg of goal weight. It's a stretch, not a line in the sand.

The key idea is simple: the floor is a hard line you should clear every single day; the goal is something to reach for when you can. On a low-appetite day — say, on a GLP-1 — hitting the floor is a full win, not a failure. Get your floor and target →

The stressful way

A goal you miss.

Set one big number, treat it as the bar, and every day you fall short feels like failure. It's all-or-nothing — so a hard day reads as a loss.

The way that holds

A floor you hold.

A clear pass/fail line you can actually keep, even on a bad day. Clear the floor and you've protected the muscle — anything above it is a bonus.

What it's based on

The graded
evidence.

Each claim graded the way researchers grade it, kept only if it survived a deliberate attempt to refute it.

Context
The RDA (0.8 g/kg) is a floor to prevent deficiency in average adults — not the optimum. It's set to stop the typical, weight-stable adult becoming deficient. Don't confuse "enough to not be deficient" with "enough to thrive" when you're losing fat or protecting muscle.[1]
Strong · position stand
1.4–2.0 g/kg/day supports muscle for active people; up to 2.3–3.1 g/kg of fat-free mass when cutting. Both your floor and your goal sit comfortably inside this evidence-supported band — so neither number is extreme.[1, 2]
Expert consensus
During weight loss, ~1.2–1.6 g/kg/day is advised — with an absolute floor of ~0.4–0.5 g/kg. A 2025 multi-society advisory (including weight loss on a GLP-1) sets a level below which muscle is at real risk — a vivid example of a true "floor" you never cross.[3]
Moderate · RCT
Protein is the most satiating macro — hitting it first tends to lower how much else you eat. So a floor does double duty: it protects muscle and blunts appetite, which makes the rest of a deficit easier to hold.[4]
Moderate · meta-analysis
Higher protein during a deficit preserves lean mass. This is the whole reason the floor exists: in a calorie deficit, enough protein is what keeps the weight you lose coming off as fat rather than muscle.[5]
How to use them

Floor first,
goal second.

STEP 01

Set your floor from goal weight

Multiply your goal weight by ~1.6 g/kg. That's the daily minimum you defend every day. Goal weight, not current weight, because protein need tracks lean mass. Use the calculator →

STEP 02

Aim for the goal on normal days

On a regular day, reach for ~2.0 g/kg of goal weight. That's the optimal target — better muscle protection and more satiety. Treat it as the aim, not the bar to clear.

STEP 03

On hard days, hit the floor

Low appetite, busy, on a GLP-1 — just hit the floor and call it a win. You've done the muscle-protecting job. Missing the goal on a tough day isn't failing.

What we'll never claim
  • ✕ That the RDA is the optimum. 0.8 g/kg prevents deficiency in average adults — it's not the target for losing fat or protecting muscle.
  • ✕ That protein builds muscle in a deficit. While you're cutting, protein preserves the muscle you have — it doesn't add new muscle.
  • ✕ That missing your goal means you failed. The floor is the part that counts. Clear it and you've done the job, goal or no goal.
⚠︎

This is general information, not medical advice

These ranges are informational, not a diagnosis or prescription. Kidney disease changes protein guidance — high protein is generally safe with healthy kidneys, but existing kidney disease means your targets are set by your clinician, not a rule of thumb.

If you have a kidney, liver, or eating-disorder history, or you're pregnant or breastfeeding, check your numbers with a professional first. Seek care for dizziness, fainting, or any thoughts of disordered eating.

Floor vs goal

Straight answers.

What's the difference between a protein floor and a protein goal? +
Your protein floor is the daily, non-negotiable minimum that defends muscle — a pass/fail line you should hit every day, even when everything else goes sideways. Your protein goal (or target) is the optimal stretch you aim for on a normal day, for the best muscle protection plus satiety. The floor is the part that protects you; the goal is the part that optimises. Treating the goal as the floor is why protein feels stressful.
What should my protein floor be? +
A practical floor is about 1.6 g of protein per kg of your goal weight per day. Use goal weight rather than current weight because protein needs track lean mass, not fat mass. You can get a personalised number from the GLP-1 protein calculator, which sets a floor and a target from your goal weight.
What should my protein goal be? +
A sensible goal is about 2.0–2.2 g of protein per kg of your goal weight per day. That sits inside the evidence-supported band for active people and people cutting, and adds satiety on top of muscle protection. It's a stretch target — aim for it on normal days, but the floor is the part you never miss.
Is the RDA (0.8 g/kg) enough? +
The RDA of 0.8 g/kg is a floor designed to prevent deficiency in average, weight-stable adults — not the optimum for someone losing fat or protecting muscle. It's enough to not be deficient, which is not the same as enough to thrive. For fat loss and muscle protection, the evidence supports considerably more.
What if I can only hit the floor, not the goal? +
That's a win. The floor is the part that actually protects muscle, so hitting it on a hard or low-appetite day — for example on a GLP-1 — counts as a full success, not a failure. The goal is the bonus; the floor is the job.
References

The sources.

  1. Jäger R et al. ISSN Position Stand: protein and exercise (incl. RDA context & 1.4–2.0 g/kg). J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2017. PMC5477153
  2. Aragon AA et al. ISSN Position Stand: diets & body composition (2.3–3.1 g/kg FFM cutting). J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2017. PMC5470183
  3. Multi-society advisory on nutrition & muscle during weight loss (1.2–1.6 g/kg; absolute floor 0.4–0.5). Am J Lifestyle Med 2025. PMC12125019
  4. Weigle DS et al. Higher protein lowers spontaneous intake. Am J Clin Nutr 2005. PMID 16002798
  5. Sardeli AV et al. Resistance training + protein preserves lean mass in a deficit (meta-analysis). Nutrients 2018. PMC5946208
Keep reading

Related guides.

CALCULATOR

GLP-1 protein calculator

Get your daily floor and target in seconds — private, in your browser.
GUIDE

How much protein on a GLP-1

The numbers, the reasoning, and how to actually hit them.
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