Calculating Your Calorie & Protein Needs

Protein supports:

• Muscle maintenance and growth
• Metabolic health
• Recovery and physical function
• Hormones and neurotransmitters
• Sleep, immunity, and bone health

Without enough protein muscle loss accelerates.

Hormonal fluctuations and declining oestrogen during perimenopause and menopause accelerate muscle protein breakdown and reduce bone density.

This means the body becomes less efficient at building and maintaining lean tissue. Adequate protein intake becomes protective for muscle and bone health.

Spacing protein evenly across meals improves muscle protein synthesis and supports long term strength.

The recommended daily intake of about 0.8 g per kg prevents deficiency only.

Research shows higher intakes are required to optimise muscle maintenance, strength, and body composition.

Optimal targets

• General health and active1.6 g/kg
• Muscle gain or strengthup to 2.2 g/kg
• Over 50 years1.6 to 2.2 g/kg

NHMRC (2023); Bauer et al. (2013); Morton et al. (2018); PROT-AGE Study Group (2013).

Protein provides amino acids, the building blocks of every cell, enzyme, and tissue in the body. Balancing animal and plant sources supports resilience, recovery, and vitality.

Whole foods over protein products

Many bars and powders are highly processed, expensive, and low in nutritional value.

Whole food protein sources are more nutrient dense, more filling, more cost effective, and more supportive of long term health.

Protein powders can be useful for convenience, travel, or when whole food options are limited, but they should complement, not replace, a whole food foundation.

Fat loss, muscle gain, and optimal health all require different strategies, but they share the same foundation: adequate energy, sufficient protein, and consistency over time.

Your goal determines how you apply the tools you have just learned. There is no single right goal. The right goal is the one that supports your body, lifestyle, and current season of life.

Fat loss requires a calorie deficit. Sustainability comes from nourishment, not restriction. Weekly averages matter more than individual meals.

Fat loss strategies that work

• Measure calorie dense fats
• Pre plate meals to avoid unconscious overeating
• Reduce mindless grazing
• Prioritise protein and fibre for satiety
• Use an 80/20 approach to include enjoyment
• Remove guilt from food choices

Consistency beats perfection.

The longevity strategy. Muscle is a metabolic and endocrine organ.

To build muscle you need

• A calorie surplus
• Adequate protein
• Progressive resistance training

Please note: some fat gain is normal and expected.

Why muscle matters

• Burns energy at rest
• Improves insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control
• Releases beneficial muscle derived signals that help lower inflammation and improve metabolic health
• Protects against frailty, falls, and loss of independence with ageing
• Associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome
• Supports cognitive function and is associated with lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease
• Makes fat loss easier long term

Muscle is metabolic currency.

The bathroom scales cannot distinguish between fat and muscle. Two people can weigh the same but have very different body compositions.

Tracking body composition allows smarter fuelling and training decisions. Focus on building a body that functions well, not just weighs less.