Do You Really Need 120g of Protein a Day? Here’s What Actually Matters

Ah, protein. The golden child of the macro world. Somewhere along the way, “eat enough protein” turned into “force 120g or more down your throat every day or risk instant muscle loss.” And let’s be honest—it’s gotten a little out of hand.

Here’s the thing: protein is important, but so is context. And if you’re working out multiple times a week, lifting weights, or recovering from intense workouts- then yes, you very likely need a protein intake in the triple digits to meet your needs- and that’s GREAT. I actually do want that for my clients.

However, many times what I see is that people are not doing enough in the activity department such as lifting heavy or regularly enough, or completing high intensity workouts, and yet still being told that they need 120-150g of protein a day… every day. But from what I’ve seen as a healthcare provider, and from what research shows us, there’s a good chance that obsessing over hitting 120+ grams of protein a day when your activity doesn’t match up is… unnecessary.

🍳 The Problem With the Protein Push

Let’s say you’re a moderately active adult just trying to eat well and stay energized. You already include protein at your meals, you’re not strength training five times a week, and you don’t have specific health concerns that require high intake.

So why are you forcing a third protein bar down your throat at 10pm when you’re already full?

Here’s what I’m seeing far too often:

• People eating past fullness just to hit a protein target they were recommended by a coach or what they saw online – this is especially counterproductive for those who also have weight loss goals, because guess what- eating more protein than you need doesn’t magically make muscle… it gets stored as fat like everything else
• Ignoring hunger and satiety cues because “macros”
• Feeling guilt or failure for eating “only” 80g of protein a day
• Over-prioritizing protein and under-consuming fibre, carbs, and overall variety for a well balanced diet

🧠 Protein Needs ≠ One-Size-Fits-All

Many people do just fine with ~1.2g of protein per kg of body weight, especially if they’re not doing regular strength training. For a 160 lb (72kg) person, that’s around 87g per day. Still plenty. Still doable. Still fueling your body for the demands that you are putting on it.

Athletes and highly active folks? Sure, you do need more. And while that amount will vary depending on muscle mass, size, activities, goals, etc, it likely is 120g of protein (or more). But most people trying to “be healthy” or “tone up” by using only pilates as their strength training (ps. don’t come at me pilates lovers- I also LOVE pilates- it just isn’t drastically increasing your protein needs) don’t need to double their body weight in protein grams.

🙅‍♀️ What’s Actually More Helpful:

• Eat enough overall—undereating and over-restricting don’t help anything
• Include a protein source at most meals and snacks (eggs, Greek yogurt, fish, legumes, poultry, tofu, etc.)
• Listen to your body—hunger, energy, and satisfaction > arbitrary numbers
• As you focus on increasing activity, adjust and increase your protein intake accordingly so that it aligns with your needs at that point in time

🎯 Final Thoughts

I want people to be doing enough activity to need 120g+ of protein a day. However, many times when I start with clients that isn’t the case. People are just working on figuring out how to get into a routine of walking 20 minutes a day, let alone getting their heart rate up at least 30 minutes daily and lifting weights 3x a week (which BTW is usually my goal for individuals). And yet, despite getting in minimal amounts of activity, people are forcing themselves to often overeat, just to get in a random amount of protein that doesn’t apply to their current lifestyle.

Chasing 120g of protein for no reason isn’t helping your health—it’s probably just making eating more stressful.

What if, instead of playing macro Tetris, you ate enough, included some protein, and actually felt full and satisfied… without stuffing yourself with protein powder pudding every night?

Just a thought. 😉

Need more guidance on what you should be eating?

If you’re still feeling stuck or not sure how you to sort out your meals without spending all day thinking about food, book an appointment for a 1:1 nutrition consultation (Ontario residents only).