If you’ve been trying to get toned, lose fat, or build muscle but feel like nothing is changing… you’re not alone. Here’s exactly how I hit my protein intake goals and achieved sustainable fat loss and built muscle definition!

For so many women, the real issue isn’t that we’re “eating too much.”
It’s that we’re not eating enough of the right things…especially protein.

Hitting my protein intake goals was the biggest change that helped me:

• drop 5% body fat

• gain visible muscle

• feel strong, confident, and energized in my workouts

And in this post, I’m walking you through exactly how I hit 130–150g of protein per day, what I ate, the swaps I made, and how easy it became once I got into a rhythm.

And I’m also sharing real screenshots of my MyFitnessPal logs at the end so you can see exactly what a typical day looked like.

Recommended Reads: Why Women Should Lift Heavy Weights: Muscle & Mindset

Why Women Need More Protein Than We Think

A lot of us grow up eating “light,” dainty, cute meals…
you know…the classic girl dinner.

• a bowl of mac & cheese
• a little salad
• maybe a handful of crackers or a yogurt
• and calling it a night

And sure, that’s fine sometimes.

But if your goal is protein intake for fat loss, muscle tone, or strength, that simply isn’t enough protein to support your body.

Most women who want to be lean, fit, and strong are eating half the protein they actually need, which makes sustainable fat loss much harder.

Protein does way more than most people realize:

• Builds and maintains muscle

• Boosts your metabolism

• Keeps you full longer (no more chaotic snacking)

• Helps with recovery so you can lift heavier

• Prevents muscle loss during fat loss

Once I understood this, my protein intake goals finally made sense — and everything clicked.

How Much Protein Should Women Eat?

The general rule of thumb per the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein:
0.8 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound.

However….

If you are trying to loss body fat and gain muscle (in combination with weight training/exercise), I’ve found that you should aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. 

I am 155 pounds and I personally aimed for 130–150 grams daily. Although it isn’t quite 1 gram/pound this was the range where I saw real progress. Same days I ate less and some days I ate more.

It sounds like a lot because it is compared to what most women eat, but with the strategy below, hitting my protein intake goals became surprisingly effortless.

How I Hit 130–150g of Protein Every Day

1. 30g Protein at Breakfast

Breakfast was the non-negotiable.

Eating a protein-rich breakfast boosts energy and hunger levels and curves cravings, which is huge for sustainable fat loss.

My breakfasts were almost always:

• a protein-heavy egg + meat scramble or omelet

• Some sort of carb and coffee

Starting my day with 30g protein set the tone and prevented me from ending the day 90g short (which is the struggle we all know too well).

Below is two different breakfasts both hitting above 30 grams of protein.

• The first one includes eggs, ham, cheese and a coffee totaling 375 calories and hitting 36 grams of protein.
• The second one includes eggs, cheese, spinach, ham with some fruit and hash browns totaling 463 calories and 32 grams of protein.

2. 30g Protein at Lunch

I like to keep lunch simple and comfortable, nothing fancy, nothing aesthetic.

My go-tos:

• chicken sausages (so easy, so good)

• turkey meat

• salad kits with chicken for flavor + convenience

• Meal prep taco meat

These lunches were filling, flavorful, and took almost no time to prep. Perfect for my work-from-home girlies or for fellow corporate girlies that on-the-go.

Below are the macronutrient breakdowns of two of my lunches:

• The first one was half a salad kit with 2 chicken sausage links totaling 450 calories and 32 grams of protein.
• The second one was rice cake sandwiches with chicken breast, cheese and hummus totaling 531 calories and a whopping 52 grams of protein.

3. 40–50g Protein at Dinner

Dinner was typically my heaviest protein meal because it’s just easiest to build volume here. I also love dinner and have time to actually make something yummy.

My faves:

• chicken & rice bowls

• taco bowls with lean meat

• ground turkey crust pizza (my obsession)

• stir fry with chicken or turkey

These meals kept me satisfied without overeating and made it simple to hit the last chunk of my protein.

Below are two different dinners and their macronutrient breakdowns:

• The first one, which I usually have some sort of variation of this at least once a week, is a sheet pan dinner with 558 total calories and 52 grams of protein. 
• The second one is a loaded sweet potato with buffalo chicken and coleslaw totaling 459 calories and 40 grams of protein.

4. 30g Protein in Snacks

Snacks are where I fill in the gaps. I wanted to note here that not everything you eat is going to be high-protein or necessarily “good” for you. You can see in my full day of eating breakdowns at the end of this post, there is one or two things like sweets, chips, or just filler foods that a normal person will have throughout the day.

Sustainable eating is about balance. I wanted to show you that you can have a sweet treat and still hit your goals and see results.

With that said, my high-protein snack staples include:

• Fairlife protein milk (literally tastes like chocolate milk) – this is the biggest protein saver ever. It is 50 calories and 30 grams of protein and tastes JUST LIKE chocolate milk. It’s so good!

• cottage cheese + avocado

One other note is that I am not a huge snacker. I like to eat larger meals that keep me full but I do think snacks are great at keeping energy levels up and helping you get those final grams of protein to hit those goals.

Extra Ways I Added More Protein (That Didn’t Feel Like Work)

These little hacks gave me 10–20g extra without even trying:

• Making sauces with plain Greek yogurt (pesto, tzatziki, creamy dressings)

• Adding cottage cheese to bowls, dips, and mixed meals

• Using protein milk or low-fat dairy milk in my coffee (With non-diary options becoming so popular, it’s important to remember that diary milk is so high in protein and contains a lot of healthy nutrients.)

• Swapping in high-protein carb options (pasta, wraps, breads)

• Adding egg whites to breakfast for extra volume

Why This Was Actually Sustainable

This wasn’t a diet.
I wasn’t starving.
I wasn’t tracking perfectly every day.

I simply built my meals around protein first, and everything else fell into place.

High protein =
✔ feeling full
✔ fewer cravings
✔ better workouts
✔ easier fat loss
✔ faster muscle gain
✔ no binge cycles
✔ no “girl dinner guilt” after realizing it was 9g of protein

Consistency mattered more than perfection, and honestly — once I got in the habit, it felt natural.

Real Examples: What I Ate in a Day

Below are three of my full day of eating macronutrient breakdowns from MyFitnessPal so you can see exactly how my days looked — the good, the bad, and the realistic.

Eating More Protein Changed My Whole Body

If you’re a woman who wants to build muscle, lose fat, feel strong, or simply look more toned,
start prioritizing protein.

It was the biggest game-changer in my fat loss journey, and I truly believe every woman can benefit from hitting a higher protein target.

Build your meals around protein, stay consistent, and watch your body transform in the best way.