What should my calorie goal be?

Buckeye19XX

My BMR is around 1300 but I plan on running 4-5 times a week so my TDEE is around 2000 calories. Should I eat around 1500 calories or 1200 then eat back half of my exercise calories?

lorrpb

Put your stats into MFP, set for sedentary or lightly active (depending on your job and non-exercise activity), set .5 lb per week loss. See what it gives you. Log your runs & other exercise and eat back about half your exercise calories. My guess from what you've told us would be about 1800.

Lillymoo01

Is 2000 calories your TDEE (total calories including exercise) or NEAT (calories for normal day without exercise included)? If it is your TDEE then aim for 1500 calories a day. If it is your NEAT then aim for 1500 calories plus at least half of what you burn running. With so little to lose you could even up those calories up a bit if you find you are often hungry and aim for 1/5 pound weight loss a week.

Buckeye19XX

2000 calories is my TDEE. I'm going to aim for 1500 calories a day and see how that goes. Lately I've been overeating on junk food, my previous calorie goal was 1200 and I was eating around 1500-1600, and I wasn't losing weight but I think it's a lot of water weight. How much water weight can somebody hold?

MichelleSilverleaf

Buckeye19XX wrote: »

2000 calories is my TDEE. I'm going to aim for 1500 calories a day and see how that goes. Lately I've been overeating on junk food, my previous calorie goal was 1200 and I was eating around 1500-1600, and I wasn't losing weight but I think it's a lot of water weight. How much water weight can somebody hold?

Varies between people, but the question you'd get would be how were you measuring what you were eating, before questions about water weight.

Buckeye19XX

I weigh out the portions of what I eat.

Lillymoo01

Buckeye19XX wrote: »

2000 calories is my TDEE. I'm going to aim for 1500 calories a day and see how that goes. Lately I've been overeating on junk food, my previous calorie goal was 1200 and I was eating around 1500-1600, and I wasn't losing weight but I think it's a lot of water weight. How much water weight can somebody hold?

I'd try to be more precise with logging to start with. Looking back I was woeful to begin with with entries chosen. Make sure you are using weights over cups for solids and match entries to USDA database or package information. Weigh prepacked food which can be significantly more weight than the serving size on the package indicates. Also remember to include cooking oil and sauces condiments which can be calorie dense but often overlooked.

If you are already doing all this and not losing at 1500 calories then drop back your calories by 100 or so. Not too much though because if you undereat and are hungry you are more likely to binge.