Been back on creatine monohydrate for about a week and I swear my midsection looks a bit softer. Thought that whole “creatine bloat” thing was old news with better dosing and hydration habits. Anyone else still notice that water retention, or is it just in my head?
Yeah bro, creatine mono can still make you hold a little water, especially if you’re loading or not staying hydrated. It’s mostly intracellular though, not under the skin. You’ll look fuller, not fatter.
Honestly man, depends on your diet and sodium. If you’re smashing a lot of salt and not drinking enough water, you’ll puff up a bit. I switched to creatine HCL and that feeling went away completely.
Yeah I’m not even loading, just 5g daily. Drinking like a gallon a day too. Maybe I’m just tripping because the scale went up 3 lbs quick lol.
That’s classic creatine weight, bro. First week you’ll gain a couple pounds easy it’s just your muscles storing more water. Once your body levels out, you’ll look tighter again.
A lot of people confuse glycogen and water weight. When your muscles store more glycogen from creatine, water follows. You’re not bloated, you’re just swole. 
Lmao fair point. Might just be me overanalyzing in bad lighting. I’ll stick with it for a month and see if it evens out.
That’s the move bro. Give it a few weeks. Once your body stabilizes, that “bloat” turns into straight fullness your pumps will be nuts.
Creatine ain’t the enemy, man. It’s the most researched supplement out there. People just gotta understand where the water goes. It’s inside your muscles, not sitting in your gut.
Only time I ever got bloated was when I took cheap powder that didn’t dissolve well. Try micronized creatine mono mixes clean and goes down smooth, zero puffiness.