Protein on a low-carb diet: how much and what kind

Multiply your weight in kilograms by 1.2 and by 2 — you will get the boundaries of the range.

A woman weighing 70 kg: 1.2 g per kg gives 84 g of protein, 1.6 g per kg gives 112 g, and 2.0 g per kg gives 140 g. If she is losing weight and exercising, a practical target for her is approximately 85-110 g of protein per day.

The upper part of the range is needed by those who exercise and lose weight at the same time: protein works here as insurance for the muscles.

Because it looks substantial on the plate. A 120-gram piece of meat is a noticeable portion of food, and the thought “I must have eaten enough protein” comes naturally.

But 120 grams of chicken breast contains about 27 grams of pure protein. For a woman weighing 70 kg, that is approximately a quarter of her daily requirement, not the whole amount. To reach 85-110 grams, portions like this would need to be included in every meal, not just one.

It preserves muscle while weight is coming off and has a stronger effect on satiety than any other macronutrient.

The second point is exactly what this is all about. When there is enough protein in a meal, you do not feel drawn to the refrigerator two hours later, and snacking disappears on its own, without willpower.

Meat, poultry, fish and seafood, eggs, cheese and cottage cheese. On a low-carb diet, protein almost always comes together with fat — this is convenient because it solves two tasks at once.

Legumes and grains do not work as protein sources here: along with protein, they bring too many carbohydrates.

In practice — it is difficult, but there is no point in doing so. The body partially converts excess protein into glucose, which works against the very idea of a low-carb diet.

Therefore, 2 g per kilogram is the upper limit, not a target. Most people need only 1.2-1.6.

Distribute it evenly between meals rather than eating one large portion in the evening.

With two or three meals, this means having a protein portion at each one. This makes it easier both to reach the target and to maintain satiety: protein at breakfast helps prevent cravings for sweets during the day, while protein at the last meal helps prevent overeating in the evening.

A pattern that usually does not work: coffee in the morning, a light lunch, and all the meat at dinner. The target is technically reached, but the day was spent hungry, and more than planned was eaten in the evening.

The task becomes more complicated, but not impossible. Eggs, cheese and cottage cheese cover a significant part of the target if they are included in the diet.

The difficulty is that plant-based protein sources — legumes, grains, and unprocessed soy — bring a lot of carbohydrates with them and fit poorly into a 50-70 g target. That is why strict veganism and a low-carb diet are difficult to combine, and it is better not to do this without professional guidance.

If eggs and dairy are included in the diet, the approach works: protein is distributed among them, while fats come from avocado, nuts, seeds and oils.

Look at indirect signs rather than test results.

A constant feeling of hunger one and a half to two hours after eating despite a normal amount of fat. Cravings for sweets in the second half of the day. Weakness during workouts and slow recovery afterward. The feeling that your weight is dropping but your body is softer than before.

Before changing anything else, count your protein intake over two ordinary days. In most cases, it turns out to be 50-60 grams instead of 85-110.

With chronic kidney disease, the protein target must be determined by a doctor or nephrologist: without dialysis, protein is often restricted, while during dialysis the need is higher instead. The general guideline of 1.2-2 g per kilogram cannot be applied to these cases.

During pregnancy and breastfeeding, a low-carb approach is not recommended without medical supervision. Protein is especially important for older adults, but together with sufficient calories, not instead of them.