How Much Protein Do I Need?

Did you ever notice with diet or health-related talk, there is often conflicting information out there. One source says don't eat red meat, another source says red meat is fine. One source will say coffee is okay, but then you hear reports that maybe it's not so good. The question of how much protein often has different answers, depending on who you ask.

Dr. Fuhrman said in his book The End of Diabetes, that Americans get too much protein in their diets. Then I read somewhere else that to increase muscle mass, I need the amount of protein in grams equal to my body weight. Another source says men should get 56 grams of protein. What am I supposed to believe?

I'm trying to find a balance between all the above statements about protein. Someone who does strength training advised me to have about 120 grams, which is what I'm following for now. I figure if I see results with my strength training, then I'm getting the right amount.

If I were to have my protein in equal amounts to my weight, that would be a lot of food. I would probably have to resort to protein shakes. The problem with that is that they don't digest well. My stomach prefers real food to whey protein.

If anybody has a good formula on how much protein to eat, I'd like to know about it. I am trying to increase my muscle mass so I think the amount of protein I'm getting is sufficient. I know body builders do eat a lot of protein, but I'm not trying to be a big muscle machine, I just want to get toned!