Taking Creatine while trying to lose weight.

[CamKeo]

Hey guys,

I'm currently working on losing 70lbs. While at the same time, I'm wanting to get stronger, and more tone, and I know this will come with the weight loss to an extent.

My question is, if I take Creatine Before I work out (Weightlifting, then Cardio.) will this put weight on me, or will it kinda balance out? I just want to know the affects it will have if im weight lifting and doing cardio.

[lilly_julia]

i wish I had the answer but the truth is I would also like to know the answer to this! i've heard so many good things about it, but is it suitable for men AND women trying to gain muscle AND lose fat?

[steve_nm156]

Creatine will initially cause your muscles to hold more water so in the first few weeks of taking it, you won't see the losses you'd expect from your weigh ins.

After a few weeks max, your weigh-ins shouldn't be affected by it, unless you are really lifting hard and eating properly, in which case you will need to account for the additional muscle you are adding. At that point, body measurements and body fat % will be better indicators of your overall success than what the scale tells you.

[CamKeo]

Well, I may wait then.

I'm not wanting to add onto my current weight, more than I'm trying to get down 70lbs then work on my image. I don't want to weigh 240lbs no matter what body fat % I have, lol.

[steve_nm156]

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear, if you are doing all the right things, you will definitely see results on the scale. Some people expect really high weight loss numbers every week and get discouraged by lower numbers even though the lower numbers actually mean good things for their body.

If you are taking creatine, eating and lifting properly, you will gain muscle mass, which will aide your loss of fat and weight. You minimally want to maintain your muscle mass to assist you in reaching your goals, and to ensure that when you reach them, your body fat % is in line for your current weight, and still not too high because of muscle loss.

[CamKeo]

So, let's see.....

Creatine helps with weightlifting, which in turn burns calories and builds up muslce mass, which in turn helps burn fat?

Lol....


So, If I'm trying to lose weight, I should be ok with taking creatine on the days I work out?

[JayT]

Yes...you can take creatine when you work out.

Heres the problem that many people with the notion of creatine and weight loss however. To lose weight you need to eat less than your body needs on a daily basis. But to gain muscle you need to flood your body with nutrients.

On a diet you restrict nutrients. If your taking creatine you are trying to gain muscles mass. Muscle needs vitamins and nutrients to grow, so how are you going to spur muscle growth while cutting back on nutrients to help facilitate weight loss? It's a catch 22.

But yes, you can take creatine while you are trying to lose weight.

[CamKeo]

But then it's a worthless cause, right?

Maybe it'd be best if I got the weight I wanted, then I took the creatine and such when I can optimize it for full results.

[JayT]

Well...that's the question a lot of people ask. Is it worth it? Some say yes, others say no. Some say you can take it while your cutting, others say you can't.

You need to understand the science behind creatine. Creatine in itself isn't some wonder suppliment. All it does is helps your muscles hold water. If your muscles have more water you can lift more or rep more. By lifting heavier or lifting more often you natural cause your muscles to grow.

SO...

If you take creatine and push yourself then you may spur muscle growth. Increased muscle growth will cause your body to burn more fat.

On the flip side, most people get tired on diets because their bodies don't get enough energy. So if creatine helps you lift more, but you can't lift as much as you usually do because your cutting...the two can cancel each other out. Experiment and see what works best for you. I am currently cutting while using creatine, but it is a long process.

[68Anthony68]

So, let's see.....

Creatine helps with weightlifting, which in turn burns calories and builds up muslce mass, which in turn helps burn fat?

Lol....


So, If I'm trying to lose weight, I should be ok with taking creatine on the days I work out?

I dont know much about it, but I was taking creatine for like three weeks about two months ago. First week I loaded, second and third week I took a normal dose. Well I gained like ten pounds, even though I wasnt planning on doing that. But my bench went from 260 to 275. Heh, so it definatly works. I dont know about weight loss with it though.

[TheChamp18713]

The first 2 or 3 cycles of creatine i went on i gained about 5-6 lbs of water each time. I wasnt drinking alot of water.

The fourth cycle i went on I upped my water intake. I think i drink about a gallon a day. I didint gain any water during the last cycle i was on. I stayed the same weight the entire time.

[TheChamp18713]

The first 2 or 3 cycles of creatine i went on i gained about 5-6 lbs of water each time. I wasnt drinking alot of water.

The fourth cycle i went on I upped my water intake. I think i drink about a gallon a day. I didint gain any water during the last cycle i was on. I stayed the same weight the entire time. Either my body got used to the creatine or the high intake of water kept the water retention low. Id bet on the water intake.

[Bad Company]

Take it, it wont make a difference to your fat loss.

[Ghost Gainer]

If you take creatine and push yourself then you may spur muscle growth. Increased muscle growth will cause your body to burn more fat.

Quoted for truth. Take the creatine now. You may gain a couple of lbs of water weight right off the bat, but your goal is a long term one and it will help you (and when you cycle off I've found that extra water weight drops really quickly).

Also, I'm not sure if it's a placebo effect or not, but I always feel like I have more energy overall when I'm on as opposed to off (which should help in coping with reduced calories).

[ironraider52]

while eating a clean 2400 calorie diet and taking 15 grams of creatine pre and post workout with beta alanine in 6 weeks i lost 20 lbs and put on 15 lbs on my bench.

i also did 20 mins cardio 6x a week b4 i workout.

[Chris@UGA]

So, let's see.....

Creatine helps with weightlifting, which in turn burns calories and builds up muslce mass, which in turn helps burn fat?

Lol....


So, If I'm trying to lose weight, I should be ok with taking creatine on the days I work out?

Take creatine every day, imo. 5g per day in your post workout shake.

^^lol...30g of creatine a day. That's some expensive piss.

[bbronswyk2000]

You are 16 years old. Dont use it untill your atleast 18 years old. Just add more protein to your diet. Want more creatine without buying it? Eat more red meat. Find the leanest cuts of beef available to you. Eat extra lean ground beef. Creatine is in meats and the highest in red meats.

[Collins17]

Yes...you can take creatine when you work out.

Heres the problem that many people with the notion of creatine and weight loss however. To lose weight you need to eat less than your body needs on a daily basis. But to gain muscle you need to flood your body with nutrients.

On a diet you restrict nutrients. If your taking creatine you are trying to gain muscles mass. Muscle needs vitamins and nutrients to grow, so how are you going to spur muscle growth while cutting back on nutrients to help facilitate weight loss? It's a catch 22.

But yes, you can take creatine while you are trying to lose weight.

wrong.. Multi vitamins and whey? you could easily provide your body with enough nutrients and vitamins while still on a caloric deficit.. All you need to do is up your carb/insulin intake a little more and obviously drink more water... All creatine does is help you push out more weight, so you could stay at a lean caloric deficit at like 1500 or 2000 and still lose weight and make gains.