Torn about Creatine

ShampooIsBetter

I've been on Creatine for over a week now, and I feel the difference when I workout. I dont have the pain and soreness that I had before. I also feel like my workouts stay with me longer, as my muscles seem to be "pumped up" all the time.

But I am not losing weight. I have had 5 days in a row at the gym with 75-90 minute workouts and am a few pounds heavier than when I started taking creatine.

I have gone from the 43 inch notch on my belt to the 42 inch notch, so I do seem to be slimming down. I just dont want to stay at the weight I am now, even if it means replacing fat with muscle.

i'm starting to think I am going to take it in cycles. One week per month. During that week, I will focus on really killing it with the weights each day and maybe even adding a couple hundred calories to my diet. Then the rest of the month, focus on cardio and low weight/high rep workouts.

alejan1975

i'm not a creatine expert, but if i'm not mistaken, it takes a while to creatine "load" - the point at which your body has stored up the maximum amount it can use, and then it can take up to 6 weeks for it to be totally out of your system.

From my experience, i definately noticed a difference in a weeks time, and it can make you retain water which may explain the scale not dropping. However, you may be getting better workouts and if you cycle off of it you should see any water weight drop off. I've read different things but generally have seen people claim 2 - 5 lbs water retention w/ creatine. Personally, i think it only accounted for maybe a pound, but proabably not more than 2.

You may want to consider staying on it for longer than a week (2 or 3) and then staying off for 2 months. If it truly takes 6 weeks for it to be out of your system, not waiting longer than that won't allow you to compare on it vs. off it both in workouts and water weight.

I've seen a lot of people claim its benefits for losing weight by allowing faster/better strength gains and tougher workouts.

I welcome other comments as i've said i'm a creatine novice at best.

good luck and congrats on the weight loss so far.

ivyjbres

Sounds like you've come to a good solution. Creatine is known to bulk you up, so you shouldn't loose weight rapidly while using it unless you have a whole lot to loose.

ShampooIsBetter

Sounds like a plan. Two weeks on, six weeks off. I'll take it until next friday, try to get in several more heavy work-outs and then take a break from it for six weeks and get back to my weight loss exercises. If this stuff has truly made me bloated with waterweight, then I might see weight drop off like most people do in the first six weeks of a diet/exercise program.