How much protein you need
For people who lift, research points to about 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight a day (1.6 to 2.2 g per kg) to build muscle. While you're losing fat, aim for the top of that, 0.8 to 1 g per pound, to hold on to the muscle you have. Just staying fit and active, 0.6 to 0.8 g per pound is plenty. The government's 0.36 g per pound is the minimum to avoid a deficiency, not a target for building muscle.
Got a lot of weight to lose?
Use your goal weight instead of your current weight. Protein needs follow lean mass, and the calculator would otherwise hand you a number that's higher than you need and hard to eat.
Spread it across the day
The daily total matters most. Splitting it over 3 to 5 meals, around 25 to 50 grams each, makes it easier to hit and helps you stay full. A protein shake is fine on days you come up short.
Is that much protein safe?
For healthy adults, these amounts are well studied and considered safe. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, check with your doctor before raising your protein.