I get asked about protein more than anything else. More than training splits, more than supplements, more than how many days a week to train. And the answer is almost always the same: you are probably not eating enough of it.
The number you need to know
If you are training regularly and want to build muscle, lose fat, or just recover properly between sessions, you should be aiming for somewhere between 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day. That is not a number I have made up. That is the range backed by pretty much every credible piece of sports nutrition research out there.
For an 80kg bloke, that is roughly 128 to 176 grams per day. Most people I work with, when they first track their food honestly, are hitting maybe 60 to 80 grams. That is nowhere near enough if you want your training to actually produce results.
Real food first
I am not going to tell you to eat chicken breast and rice six times a day. That is boring, it is miserable, and you will not stick to it. Here is what I actually recommend to my members.
Eggs are brilliant. Cheap, versatile, and around 6 grams of protein each. Three eggs on toast in the morning and you are already at 18 grams before you have left the house. Greek yoghurt is another one I push hard. A 200g pot of Fage 0% has about 20 grams of protein and you can chuck fruit and granola on it.
For your main meals, you do not have to stick to chicken. Lean beef mince, turkey, salmon, prawns, tinned tuna — they all work. I eat a lot of beef mince because it is affordable and I can make about ten different meals with it. Bolognese, chilli, burritos, stir fry. If you are vegetarian, lentils, chickpeas, tofu and tempeh are your best friends. They need a bit more volume to hit the same numbers, but it is completely doable.
The shake question
People ask me about protein shakes like they are some kind of magic potion. They are not. A protein shake is just a convenient way to get 20 to 30 grams of protein when you cannot be bothered to cook or you need something quick after a session. I use them. Most of my members use them. But they are a supplement, not a replacement for actual food.
If you are hitting your protein target from real food alone, you do not need a shake. If you are struggling to get there, a shake or two fills the gap nicely. That is it. Do not overthink it.
How to hit your target without obsessing
I am not asking you to weigh every meal for the rest of your life. What I do ask is that you track your food for one or two weeks so you actually understand where you are starting from. Most people are shocked at how little protein they eat. Once you have a feel for portions, you can eyeball it.
The simple rule I give every member is this: make sure every meal has a proper protein source. If you are eating three meals and a snack, and each one has 30 to 40 grams of protein, you are in the right range without having to think about it much.
Protein is not glamorous. There is no hack or shortcut. You just need to eat enough of it, consistently, from decent sources. Do that and your recovery improves, your body composition changes, and your training starts to actually pay off.