December 9, 2025
This guide shows you exactly how to use hand-sized portions to hit your protein targets for fat loss, stay full, and keep muscle—no scales or calorie apps required.
For most people losing fat, aim for 1–2 palm-sized portions of protein per meal, 3–4 times per day.
One palm of lean protein is roughly 20–30 g of protein, enough to support fullness and muscle.
Adjust portions by body size, activity level, and hunger: smaller people need fewer palms, larger or active people need more.
This guide uses a simple hand-portion system based on research-backed protein needs for fat loss (roughly 1.6–2.2 g protein per kg bodyweight per day). Instead of weighing food, we translate typical protein-rich foods into palm-sized portions. Each palm is the size and thickness of your palm (excluding fingers), which scales naturally to your body size. The list ranks common protein sources by how easy they are to use in hand portions, their protein density, leanness, and practicality for day-to-day fat loss eating.
Getting enough protein is one of the biggest levers for fat loss: it keeps you full, protects muscle, and stabilizes blood sugar. But constantly tracking grams and calories is exhausting. A hand-based system is fast, portable, and precise enough to get great results in real life. Once you learn what a palm of protein looks like for different foods, you can build meals that support fat loss almost on autopilot.
Most people do well with 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of bodyweight when trying to lose fat while keeping muscle. A simple shortcut: aim for 0.7–1.0 g per pound of your current or goal bodyweight. Example: at 75 kg (165 lb), that’s roughly 120–165 g protein per day. If you’re very overweight, you can use your goal weight instead of current weight. Don’t stress about perfection—being in the ballpark consistently matters far more than exact numbers.
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One palm-sized portion of lean protein (your palm’s length and width, same thickness) gives about 20–30 g of protein. That means: 4 palms per day ≈ 80–120 g; 5–6 palms per day ≈ 100–180 g. Smaller, less active people may land around 3–4 palms per day; larger, athletic, or very active people often need 5–6 palms. Spread them across 3–4 meals or meals plus a snack so you hit at least 20–30 g per eating occasion.
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Extremely high protein, very low fat, easy to portion by palm, versatile in meals.
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High-quality protein, easy to scale fat up or down by adjusting yolks.
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Target: ~4–5 palms of protein. Breakfast: 1 palm of eggs (2 whole eggs + extra whites) with a fist of vegetables. Lunch: 1 palm of chicken breast in a salad plus a cupped hand of beans. Snack: 1 palm-equivalent of Greek yogurt with berries. Dinner: 1–1.5 palms of fish with 1–2 fists of vegetables. This day delivers roughly 100–130 g of protein without weighing or tracking.
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Target: ~3–4 palms of protein. Breakfast: 1 palm of Greek yogurt with fruit. Lunch: 1 palm of tofu in a stir-fry with 1–2 fists of vegetables. Snack: 0.5–1 palm-equivalent protein shake if needed. Dinner: 1 palm of chicken or fish with vegetables and a small cupped hand of rice or potatoes. Prioritize at least 20 g of protein at each meal to manage hunger.
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Your hand is a built-in, scaled measuring tool: larger people naturally have larger palms and usually need more protein, so the system auto-adjusts without math.
Protein density matters: the leaner and more protein-dense a food is, the easier it is to hit targets with fewer palms and fewer calories, which is why chicken breast and Greek yogurt outrank beans and nuts as primary protein sources.
Most people under-eat protein at breakfast and snacks; shifting 1 extra palm into those meals often improves fullness, reduces evening cravings, and makes fat loss more sustainable.
You don’t need perfect precision: being consistently close with hand portions over weeks beats short bursts of perfectly tracked macros followed by burnout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most people do well with 3–6 palms of protein per day, spread across 3–4 meals. Smaller or less active people land around 3–4 palms; larger or very active people often need 5–6. Start in the middle, track your weight and hunger for 2–3 weeks, then adjust by half a palm at a time.
Yes. The system is designed to scale with you: smaller people usually need smaller portions and fewer calories, and they also have smaller hands. Larger people need more food and tend to have larger hands. If you notice you’re constantly overly full or always hungry, adjust by half a palm per meal.
You can maintain and sometimes slowly build muscle while losing fat if you get enough protein (usually 4–6 palms per day for larger, active individuals), lift weights 2–3 times per week, and keep your calorie deficit moderate, not extreme. Palm portions help you reliably hit that protein target without tracking macros.
You can consider protein from carbs and fats as a bonus, but don’t rely on them as your main source. Focus on hitting your protein target from clear protein foods—those you’d measure with palms. The extra few grams from oats, bread, or nuts can help, but they’re harder to portion for pure protein and often come with more calories.
It’s fine to be a bit below your theoretical target if you’re losing fat, maintaining strength, and feel good. If you’re very full, slightly reduce portions (e.g., 0.5 palm less at a meal) or shift more protein into meals you naturally enjoy. Prioritize at least 20–25 g of protein at each main meal, then adjust upward only as hunger and schedule allow.
Using your hand as a portion guide makes hitting protein targets for fat loss simple and sustainable. Aim for 1–2 palm-sized servings of protein at each meal, choose mostly lean, high-protein foods, and adjust your total palms based on your body size, activity, and hunger. Over time, this intuitive approach keeps you fuller, protects muscle, and helps fat loss feel far more effortless than constant tracking.
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Use this simple structure: Small body size (under ~60 kg / 130 lb): 1 palm per meal, 3–4 times per day. Medium body size (60–80 kg / 130–175 lb): 1–1.5 palms per meal, 3–4 times per day. Larger body size (80+ kg / 175+ lb) or very active: 1.5–2 palms per meal, 3–4 times per day. Start at the low end; if you’re hungry or losing strength, bump up by half a palm at one or two meals.
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Fat loss with good energy: stay with your current number of palms if weight is trending down slowly (0.25–1% bodyweight per week) and hunger is manageable. Fat loss but very hungry: add half a palm of protein to one or two meals and/or increase vegetables. No fat loss over 2–3 weeks: reduce protein by half a palm at one meal or trim carbs/fats, while keeping at least 3 palms of protein per day to protect muscle.
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High-protein, convenient, and great for snacks while still easy to portion visually.
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Most efficient protein per calorie and easiest to measure, but lacks chew and fullness for some people.
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Great protein quality and health benefits; fattier fish adds more calories but valuable omega-3s.
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High satiety and nutrients, but calories climb faster due to fat content.
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Excellent for plant-based eaters, but less protein per palm than lean meats, with variable fat.
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High in fiber and carbs; good supplemental protein but harder to hit targets with palms alone.
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Good protein and very filling, but portions are a bit harder to eyeball than solid meats.
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Great fats and some protein, but very calorie-dense and easy to overeat.
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Target: ~5–6 palms of protein. Breakfast: 1.5 palms of eggs/egg whites with vegetables. Lunch: 1.5 palms of lean beef in a grain bowl with vegetables. Snack: 1 palm-equivalent protein shake. Dinner: 1.5 palms of salmon with 2 fists of vegetables. Optional evening snack: 1 palm of cottage cheese. This supports muscle while still allowing a calorie deficit when carbs and fats are moderate.
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Aim for the same total palms of protein, but your individual portions may be larger to reach 20–30 g per meal. For example, breakfast: 1.5–2 palms of tofu scramble. Lunch: 1.5 palms of tempeh in a salad, plus beans for extra protein and fiber. Snack: 1 palm-equivalent of a quality plant protein shake or high-protein soy yogurt. Dinner: 1.5 palms of seitan or tofu. Pair plant proteins (e.g., tofu + beans) to boost total protein per meal.
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