Yes,whey protein will,help you meet your protein goal if you can't do it with food. If you log it and remain within your calorie goal then it won't hinder your weight/fat loss.

ETA: not to be a downer but it's going to be very very difficult to cut fat while building muscle (I believe it's possible for the first few weeks/months). It's definitely worth hitting that protein goal - to help maintain the muscle you do have - while you're cutting weight. (Or, eat at surplus and accept the fat gain that'll come along with the muscle).

I had a nosy at your profile and see you've still got a bit to go. So yes, just keep at it, at deficit, you can still get great strength gains and even once you've exhausted your initial muscle gains, stripping back the fat will give the appearance of more too . Whey is great IMO - I would really struggle to hit my protein without it. It's definitely crucial to get enough to maintain your lean mass. Well done on the losses so far btw.

What 3laine said. Most of us use some form of whey protein in our daily diets. It will not hinder weight loss as long as you stick with your deficit. Also yes, around .8 - 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight is fine.

Now that that's out of the way, 3laine is also right that you cannot build muscle while eating in a deficit, unless you are obese, a newb to lifting, or coming back for a lifting hiatus. Muscle requires a surplus of calories in order to grow. And since you have about 75 lbs to lose (per your profile), I wouldn't recommend bulking right now. You need to focus on losing the fat and retaining the muscle you currently have. As you strip away the fat, your existing muscles will appear larger, because you're able to see them more. Lift heavy and eat at a slight deficit and I think you'll be quite pleased with your results.

ETA: you need to hit that protein goal even if you're not building muscle right now in order to retain what you have, so whey protein is still a good idea.

Good luck! :flowerforyou: