Creatine question

[BeeUnique]

I know I should be posting on the supp board, BUT I have gotten referred to as a dude several times, so I feel it is safer here to get a woman's perspective because that is what I am

I am about 23% bf and was wanting to start creatine. Should I loose more bodyfat first? I was also reading caffeine can affect results of creatine....I am taking Xenedrine?? I do not eat red meat, so I am prob a little absent on creatine anyway.
I had bought some EAS Betagen (did nothing to me) so I just bought EAS straight creatine. I drink 120+ oz of water a day.



Any thoughts, I would hate to blow up like a balloon

 

[Fyre]

What are your goals firstly? Are you using creatine to help you put on size or are you using it to supplement your diet due to the fact that you don't eat red meat?

 

[Fyre]

"Any thoughts, I would hate to blow up like a balloon"

That's what i tend to feel like when I use creatine so I really don't use it anymore. It is great for strength though. It is imperative that you drink lots of water while you're using it. If you don't drink enough water, you may experience some cramping and we all know how cramps feel!

 

[BeeUnique]

I am trying to get more cut AND build strength. Is it even possible to do both at the same time?? If not I would rather be more cut first! Could my body be lacking creatine because I don't eat red meat therefore, it is taking longer for me to gain muscle? I eat chicken, tuna, salmon and soy products.

I am so confused with myself

 

[Fyre]

You're probably going to get varying opinions on this one but i'll give you my two cents anyway. I don't think Creatine is the right supplement for you if you're looking to get the cut up look. As women, we tend to hold more water to begin with, so often if you supplement with creatine you may feel even more bloated than normal. Training styles for cutting are quite different than training style for strength. Often, when we try to do both at the same time, we tend to jeopardize our strength and/or size for leanness. The Xenadrine should be giving you a little kick in the ass for training anyway is it not? I would tend to say stick with the Xenadrine and pass on the creatine for now. What kind of weight training program are you doing now? How many days a week are you training? Cardio?
BTW, I'm with you on the Betagen, I didn't like it either.

 

[***]

creatine is something your body can synthesize, so you don't need to eat red meat to have sufficient creatine in your muscles. if you want to supplement additional creatine in your body then i suggest you mix the creatine powder in warm fluids to fully dissolve the creatine. it is imerative that you dissolve it fully because undissolved creatine will not be absorbed by your GI tract. not only is this a waste of creatine, but it will also cause gas, cramps, smelly farts, and diarrhea.
you don't have to drink it warm though. once you dissolve it you can put it back in the fridge to cool off then drink it when the time comes.
creatine will give you increased strength if you use it right. more strength with the right lifting and diet will cause more muscles. more muscles raises your metabolic rate and helps burn more fat. having said that, if you're looking to cut immediately then creatine is not good for you because of the afformentioned bloat. but in the long run it will help because of the increased muscle you get from it.

 

[BeeUnique]

I have been toying around with the amount of cardio I do. I am down to 20-30 min about 4x (treadmill) a week and I lift 2 days on and one off.

Thanks for the creatine heads up!!