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Semaglutide · Ozempic, Wegovy

Protein on Ozempic and Wegovy

When appetite drops, protein tends to drop with it. This page sets out what the research says, what a protein floor is, and how to reach one on the days you are not hungry.

Last reviewed 23 September 2026 · Written by Ihor, who makes Keel · Not yet reviewed by a clinician

The short answer

There is no single number for everyone on semaglutide. The range recommended for people on GLP-1 medication during active weight loss is 1.2–1.5 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, split across three or four meals of 25–40 g (Božić et al., 2026). Where you sit depends on your weight, height, age and training.

The protein floor calculator works out yours and shows the working. If your clinician has given you a target, use theirs — it always comes first.

Why protein gets harder on semaglutide

Ozempic and Wegovy are both semaglutide. In a 2026 paper on people taking GLP-1 medication, 43% reached 1.2 g of protein per kg a day. The average intake was 77 g a day (Božić et al., 2026).

What happens to muscle

Any weight loss takes some lean mass with it, not only fat. Lean mass includes muscle. On semaglutide, the STEP 1 trial's body-composition substudy measured it with DXA scans: fat mass fell by 19.3% and lean mass by 9.7%. Because fat fell faster, lean mass made up a larger share of the body afterwards, not a smaller one (Wilding et al.).

Across GLP-1 trials, a 2026 review put the share of weight lost as lean mass at 25–45% (Int J Obes, 2026). For comparison, low-calorie diets lose around 14%, very low-calorie diets around 23%, and bariatric surgery 18–31% (J Endocr Soc, 2024). The reviews conclude the loss is not disproportionate, and that it should not be considered a limitation of these medications (Int J Obes, 2026; Cell Rep Med, 2026).

So this is not a reason for alarm. It is a reason to keep eating enough protein and to keep training: a joint advisory from four professional societies lists adequate protein intake and strength training to preserve lean mass among the nutritional priorities on GLP-1 therapy (ACLM, ASN, OMA and TOS, 2025). The advisory does not set a number of grams.

A floor, not a ceiling

A calorie target is a ceiling: the most to eat. On semaglutide you are usually under it already. A protein floor is the other way round — the least to eat in a day. Clear it, and the day did its job. Miss it, and it is a number, not a failure.

Keel's floor is your weight, capped at BMI 30 for your height, multiplied by 1.2 to 1.8 g per kg depending on how much you train, and never below 60 g a day. How each part is worked out.

No trial has yet tested a protein target in people on GLP-1 medication specifically. The floor is drawn from obesity, geriatric and sports-nutrition evidence.

Discuss with your prescriber

Keel tracks and educates. It never recommends a dose, a titration schedule, or when or how to stop semaglutide — discuss those with your prescriber. A protein target your clinician sets always overrides Keel's calculation.

Sources

  1. Božić et al. Metabolites 2026;16(6):364. mdpi.com
  2. Wilding et al. STEP 1 body-composition (DXA) substudy.
  3. International Journal of Obesity, 19 June 2026. nature.com
  4. J Endocr Soc 2024;8(11):bvae164. oup.com
  5. Cell Reports Medicine, 2026. cell.com
  6. ACLM, ASN, OMA and TOS, joint advisory on nutritional priorities in GLP-1 therapy. The Obesity Society, 30 May 2025. obesity.org