Women need about 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight on a weight loss diet. Men need about 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight on a weight loss diet. What does this mean in English? There are about 28 grams in an ounce. There are about 2.2 pounds in a kilogram. So the average woman needs to eat about half a gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight, on a weight loss diet. The average man needs to eat about three quarters of a gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight, on a weight loss diet. This means eating about 60 grams of protein per day on a weight loss diet for most women, and eating about 100 grams of protein per day on a weight loss diet for most men. It’s even more complicated than this, because in the initial stages of weight loss, during the first 1-2 months, most patients can safely go below these protein levels without getting in trouble. Trouble means without breaking down lean body mass (muscle tissue). And in the later stages of weight loss, after 2-3 months, these protein requirements often increase to at least 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight, or more, for both sexes.