Metabolic Mastery › Week 1 — Protein Foundations
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Week 1 of 12  ·  Metabolic Mastery

Protein foundations.

Before carbs, fats, or timing — get your protein number.

This week you find it, hit it, and log it daily.

Start here
Week 1 Tool
Find your protein target
Interactive
Body weight
lb
Body fat %
%
Athletic 5%Average 25%High 40%
Training load
0.7g Moderate 3–4×
0.8g High intensity 4–5×
0.9g Peak / mass
1.0g Two-a-days
Daily protein target
123 g
daily target based on lean mass and training
Lean body mass 144 lb
Factor 0.7g / lb LBM
Per meal (3–4) 31–41g
What hitting your number looks like
Meat + Eggs
Dairy Veg
Plant-Based
The science
🥩
Builds muscle
Provides amino acids to build and repair lean tissue after training.
Training breaks it down. Protein rebuilds it.
🔥
Supports fat loss
Supports lean mass and increases the cost of metabolism. Helps shift the system toward using stored energy.
More lean tissue means higher energy demand at rest.
✦
Controls appetite
Improves satiety signaling. Hunger becomes easier to manage when protein is sufficient.
Hit the target and cravings drop.

Your protein target is based on lean body mass — not total weight. Muscle, organs, and bone require protein. Fat does not.

Using total body weight overestimates needs for those carrying more fat and underestimates for lean athletes. Lean mass gives you the correct number.

Example: A 200 lb athlete at 25% body fat has 150 lb of lean mass. At 0.8g per lb, the target is 120g — not 160g.
Adequate protein
Muscle preserved or built
Fat is the primary fuel
Recovery is faster
Hunger stays manageable
Insufficient protein
Body cannibalizes muscle
Fat burning stalls
Recovery drags
Cravings spike

If protein is too low, recovery slows and lean mass is lost. Training breaks tissue down — protein rebuilds it. Miss the target and the system adapts in the wrong direction.

Protein works best when distributed across meals. Aim for 3–4 feedings that hit a meaningful dose each time.

This improves absorption, supports recovery, and stabilizes appetite.

This week is about accuracy, not guessing. Weigh your food. Log your intake.

Know your number before you try to improve it.

This week's challenge
Week 1 Challenge
One thing. Seven days.

Measure the protein in at least one meal every day.

Weigh it. Log it.
One meal minimum. More is better.
By the end of the week, you will know your number.

You'll report this at the end of the week.

Hollis
Hollis Molloy
"Do not adjust carbs or fats this week. One variable at a time. Reach for your protein target each day. Some days you'll hit it, some you won't. That's the practice."
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