Protein Calculator for Weight Loss for Women

How to Use the Protein Calculator for Women’s Weight Loss

The protein calculator is designed to determine the recommended daily intake for protein to support fat loss, energy, and muscle maintenance based on your current activity level.

Protein is essential for preserving and building lean muscle mass. Research shows that muscle mass declines after 30, with a total decrease of 30–50% between the ages of 40 and 80.

Evidence shows that our muscles are constantly going through a process of breaking down and synthesizing protein, and for muscle growth, protein synthesis muscle exceeds muscle protein breakdown, which is achieved through consuming protein-rich foods, protein supplementation, and resistance training.

Sources recommend a daily allowance of 0.8 grams per kilogram daily, and 1.4–1.6 g/kg/day for active individuals. However, these numbers increase again during weight loss.

This is because during weight loss your muscle is in a calorie deficit, which means consuming fewer calories than your resting energy energy expenditure. During a deficit, protein intake must be increased to 2.3–3.1 g/kg/day to preserve muscle mass.

• Select Metric Or Imperial Units — Choose your desired units for your height and weight.
• Enter Your Height, Weight, And Age — These will be used to determine your basal metabolic rate, influencing your macronutrient totals.
• Choose Your Goal: Weight Loss, Muscle Gain, Or Maintenance — These determine where you are in a calorie surplus or deficit, altering your total amount of protein.
• Set Your Activity Level And Whether You Do Strength Training — Your activity level will influence your daily calorie intake, altering your daily protein intake.
• Click Calculate To See Your Daily Protein Target In Grams — The calculator will use the information provided to calculate your daily protein intake.

What Are Macros?

Macros refer to macronutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, and fats which are vital to our body’s physiological process. Below, we provide a brief description of each and its within the body.
Check out our full guide of what are macros here

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are one of the major energy sources and have been shown to control blood sugar and metabolize insulin, cholesterol, and triglycerides (fats in the blood). Research indicates that carbohydrates make up 45–65% of our total calorie intake for the standard diet, ranging from 5–12 grams per kilogram of body weight.

Protein

Protein makes up approximately 10–35% of total calorie intake and as mentioned contributes to the preservation and building of lean muscle tissue, alongside several physiological functions. A 2004 study reveals protein can improve satiety and increase thermogenesis, which is when the body burns energy to create heat. Meaning, decreased hunger between meals, fewer calories consumed, and increased energy expenditure, enhancing weight loss.

Fats

Fat is a powerful macronutrient that makes up 20–35% of our total calorie intake and is used for energy, nutrient absorption, organ protection, and hormone production. Unsaturated fats, also known as healthy fats have been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease, and inflammation, and support brain health.

Why Counting Macros Works

Counting and controlling your macronutrient intake gives you greater control of your nutrition, which is vital during weight loss.

A calorie deficit is essential, however, decreased energy intake can lead to hunger, muscle loss, and in extreme cases, nutrient deficiency. Counting macros can help mitigate these negative effects, ensuring that you are in optimal health while losing weight.

Protein intake can be maintained to ensure satiety and preserve muscle mass, carbohydrates can be monitored to keep up energy levels and ensure nutrient density and healthy fats help you absorb vital nutrients.

For more details, we recommend reading more on how to count macros for women.

Macros vs. Calories: What's the Difference?

Macronutrients and calories are both used to track nutrition, however, they serve different purposes. Calories show the total energy content of food, while macros display the food’s composition of carbohydrates, protein, and fats.

Controlling calories can be manipulated to increase, maintain, or lose weight. Meanwhile, adjusting macros ensures you're hitting your recommended daily intakes, helping you preserve muscle and support overall health.

We recommend reading counting macros vs calories for a more detailed comparison.

Best Foods for Macro Counting

Counting and hitting your daily macronutrient intake it can be challenging to find a balance. To remedy this, we have created a list of the best foods for easy macro counting to help you get started with a high-protein weight loss diet.

Protein

Carbohydrates

Fats

Best Macro Ratios by Goal

Creating the correct balance of macronutrients gives you great control of your nutrition, improving your chances of achieving your goals. As we know, protein is vital during weight loss to preserve muscle and maintain fullness, however, a balance of carbohydrates and fats is required to ensure the body is adequately fueled and nutritional requirements are met.

Below is we list of macronutrient ratios for standard nutrition and weight loss.

Standard Diet Macronutrient Ratio

• Carbohydrates: 45–65% of total daily calories
• Protein: 10–35% of total daily calories
• Fats: 20–30% of total daily calories

Weight Loss Macronutrient Ratio

• Carbohydrates: 40–50% of total daily calories
• Protein: 25–35% of total daily calories
• Fats: 20–30% of total daily calories

Macronutrient ranges can be adjusted to match your requirements and goals. For a closer look at the best macros for women’s weight loss, check out the links below.

• Macros for Muscle Gain (Women)
• Best Macros for Maintaining Weight (Female)

Best Macro Ratios by Age

As you’d imagine, age can affect nutritional requirements. Evidence shows that resting energy expenditure declines by 1–2% per decade after 20 which is attributed to the loss of fat-free mass such as brain, bone, muscle, kidney, and liver.

Loss of muscle and bone mass serious issues, which can negatively impact strength, function, and quality of life. Research indicates that muscle mass decreases after 30 by 3–8% per decade. This can impact bone mineral density as sources show the major determinants of bone density are mechanical stimuli from muscle contractions and gravity. This coupled with with the decline in estrogen and menopause in the 40s can diminish bone density, leading to negative outcomes later in life.

These are just some of the reasons macros must be adjusted to age. We go into great detail with the resources listed below.

• Macros for Women Over 40
• Macros for Women Over 50
• Macros for Women Over 60
• Macros for Women Over 70

Macros and Weight Loss During Menopause & Perimenopause

The fourth decade of life can see massive physiological changes in women. As mentioned, estrogen levels decrease, which research highlights increases appetite, and alters how the body stores fat, making it challenging to lose weight.

A personalized and tailored approach to nutrition is required to navigate these changes to lose weight while maintaining hormonal health. This can be challenging to achieve without assistance, that is why we have created these two excellent resources:

• Macros for Perimenopause Weight Loss
• Macros for Menopause Weight Loss Guide

How to Track Your Macros

Macronutrient tracking is a powerful tool for achieving your weight loss and wellness goals. It goes beyond simply restricting calories, ensuring that we are providing the body with vital nutrients to sustain energy levels, preserve muscle mass, and optimize health which is essential for women over 40.

Fortunately, tracking your calories and macronutrients has never been easier with a nutrition app. These apps help you calculate calories and macros, and have extensive food databases to streamline the entire process. For a more detailed look, here are the 10 benefits of tracking macros.

Sources

1. Lonnie, M., Hooker, E., Brunstrom, J.M., Corfe, B.M., Green, M.A., Watson, A.W., Williams, E.A., Stevenson, E.J., Penson, S. and Johnstone, A.M., 2018. Protein for life: Review of optimal protein intake, sustainable dietary sources and the effect on appetite in ageing adults. Nutrients, 10(3), p.360. doi:10.3390/nu10030360. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5872778/
2. Cintineo, H.P., Arent, M.A., Antonio, J. and Arent, S.M., 2018. Effects of protein supplementation on performance and recovery in resistance and endurance training. Frontiers in Nutrition, 5, p.83. doi:10.3389/fnut.2018.00083. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6142015/
3. Weinert, D.J., 2009. Nutrition and muscle protein synthesis: a descriptive review. Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, 53(3), pp.186–193. PMCID: PMC2732256. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2732256/
4. Holesh, J.E., Aslam, S. & Martin, A., 2025. Physiology, Carbohydrates. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459280/
5. Manore, M.M., 2005. Exercise and the Institute of Medicine recommendations for nutrition. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 4(4), pp.193–198. doi:10.1097/01.csmr.0000306206.72186.00. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16004827/
6. Halton, T.L. and Hu, F.B., 2004. The effects of high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss: a critical review. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 23(5), pp.373–385. doi:10.1080/07315724.2004.10719381. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15466943/
7. Manini, T.M., 2009. Energy expenditure and aging. Ageing Research Reviews, 9(1), pp.1–11. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2009.08.002. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2818133/
8. Volpi, E., Nazemi, R. & Fujita, S., 2004. Muscle tissue changes with aging. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 7(4), pp.405–410. doi:10.1097/01.mco.0000134362.76653.b2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2804956/
9. Hart, N.H., Nimphius, S., Rantalainen, T., Ireland, A., Siafarikas, A. & Newton, R.U., 2017. Mechanical basis of bone strength: influence of bone material, bone structure and muscle action. Journal of Musculoskeletal and Neuronal Interactions, 17(3), pp.114–139. PMCID: PMC5601257. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2804956/