Kinda worried, fat or bloat?

BossRoss182

BossRoss182

New member
Alright so I've been using creatine to help me get back into lifting. If you've seen my past post, i went from 235 to about 178 at one point, but I had a lot of loose skin left over. I started att 22 % bf, ended at 8.9% now that wrestlings over, I dont need to be thin like that again, So I'm trying to bulk back up. I slowly worked from 1200 calories to about 3300 now, which is my maintnance, however I'm noticing my abs are not defined anymore, you can still make them out, but there is a layer over my abdominals that doesnt really feel like fat, but doesnt feel like just loose skin either. Its almost spongelike it seems, could this be a bloat from creatine? Cause I really dont want to have to cut again to get rid of fat, i mean a little fat is okay, but i want to do a clean, lean bulk as much as i can.

Thoughts?
 
BossRoss182 said:
Alright so I've been using creatine to help me get back into lifting. If you've seen my past post, i went from 235 to about 178 at one point, but I had a lot of loose skin left over. I started att 22 % bf, ended at 8.9% now that wrestlings over, I dont need to be thin like that again, So I'm trying to bulk back up. I slowly worked from 1200 calories to about 3300 now, which is my maintnance, however I'm noticing my abs are not defined anymore, you can still make them out, but there is a layer over my abdominals that doesnt really feel like fat, but doesnt feel like just loose skin either. Its almost spongelike it seems, could this be a bloat from creatine? Cause I really dont want to have to cut again to get rid of fat, i mean a little fat is okay, but i want to do a clean, lean bulk as much as i can.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
How slowly did you go from 1200 to 3300 calories? How long did you stay at the same body weight at 3300 calories to determine that this was your maintenance?
 
well thats just what my maintnance should have been. I didnt think i would gain a bunch of fat, I mean right now I got up to 193 from a steady 182, and I've been drinking a lot of water, which i hardly drank any water during the season (182 was the worst weight i could have gone, lol) But yeah, i'm sure some of it is fat, but i've also been getting a lot of sodium too so maybe thats part of it. But with the calories i took about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks to get up to that many calories, and now that im eating that i'm not really gaining any more weight.
 
You nearly tripled your caloric intake in 3 weeks?

Hypothetically - You added 1000 calories a day for the first week to make 2200 a day for a week. That equates to about 2lbs (of fat) in one week.
Then then you added another 1000 calories a day for a week to make 3200 calories a day for a week. That equates to about 4lbs (of fat) in one week.
So in two weeks you could have easily gained 6lbs or more (of fat). Consider the nutrition you mentioned (sodium, creatine, etc.) that will make you hold water.

Personally, IMHO, you ramped up calories way too fast. You cannot assume what your maintenance is. You have to actually confirm it over many weeks or more to get the actual true number of calories - don't rely on calculators to tell you what it "should" be. I would not add any more calories.

Additionally, IMHO, I would drop back down 500 calories and stay there for two or three weeks to see then what your weight progress or lack of is. Then if you don't move in weight over 4 or 5 weeks add 300-500 calories a day and stay there for a few weeks and assess again.

Unless you are on excessive amounts of steroids you will not gain more than maybe 1lb of muscle a week. Think about it before you reject the notion. 1lb a week is 52lb in a year. Without steroids you will not gain 52lbs of muscle in a year. Even with steroids that is a tremendous achievement at the very least. So, consider a realistic goal and plan accordingly.
 
David Dunn said:
You nearly tripled your caloric intake in 3 weeks?

Hypothetically - You added 1000 calories a day for the first week to make 2200 a day for a week. That equates to about 2lbs (of fat) in one week.
Then then you added another 1000 calories a day for a week to make 3200 calories a day for a week. That equates to about 4lbs (of fat) in one week.
So in two weeks you could have easily gained 6lbs or more (of fat). Consider the nutrition you mentioned (sodium, creatine, etc.) that will make you hold water.

Personally, IMHO, you ramped up calories way too fast. You cannot assume what your maintenance is. You have to actually confirm it over many weeks or more to get the actual true number of calories - don't rely on calculators to tell you what it "should" be. I would not add any more calories.

Additionally, IMHO, I would drop back down 500 calories and stay there for two or three weeks to see then what your weight progress or lack of is. Then if you don't move in weight over 4 or 5 weeks add 300-500 calories a day and stay there for a few weeks and assess again.

Unless you are on excessive amounts of steroids you will not gain more than maybe 1lb of muscle a week. Think about it before you reject the notion. 1lb a week is 52lb in a year.
Click to expand...

Yeah, your probably absolutely right. Unfortunate, but on the other hand, during season, i was grumpy, always hungry, and overall miserable. Now I may not have a defined set of abs, but you can still see them, and i'm a great deal happier and stronger, So i suppose ill just continue with what your suggesting, and after a while ill do a small cut to get those six pounds i probably gained off.

*on a side note, I recently have been trying to quit chewing tobacco, that also could have maybe helped contribute.. eh idk, just throwing that out there.

But, either way, thanks for the help guys.
 
If you do follow the advice you may likely not be too worried about that 6lbs or so as you will slowly gain the desire LBM you like and possibly recompose your body fat and LBM ratio along the way. I never, ever, ever bulk...far too much of a waste of food and gain of unneeded fat to only have to die to loose again...IMHO
 
gregg1494 said:
It is more then likely fat. creatine and water retention is a myth. The puffy looking tissue may not be of the creative it's self but extra sodium. Crappy Made creatine may have sodium left in finish product.
Click to expand...

I agree that it's most likely fat, but would you mind explaining how water retention is a myth.
 
MusclestoGo said:
I agree that it's most likely fat, but would you mind explaining how water retention is a myth.
Click to expand...
"MYTH

Creatine Causes Excessive Water Retention.

TRUTH

More bull****. A recent double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that, after three months of creatine use, test subjects showed no significant increase in body water. In fact, the creatine group showed greater gains in total body mass and fat-free mass. Best of all, this recent study employed the latest in body composition measurements-deuterated water isotopic analysis which utilizes a non-radioactive "tracer". Now it is possible that some inferior-grade creatine may actually promote water gain that results in a soft, puffy look. However, this can be due to several reasons. One, it may not be due to the creatine, but excess sodium. When cheaply manufactured, excess sodium remains in the finished product."
 
Wow thank you. Now that i think about it, it's very true. In my early lifting days i would buy the crappy stuff and get puffy.. however now that i'm using higher grade creatine i no longer get the water gains.
 
David Dunn said:
"MYTH

Creatine Causes Excessive Water Retention.

TRUTH

More bull****. A recent double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that, after three months of creatine use, test subjects showed no significant increase in body water. In fact, the creatine group showed greater gains in total body mass and fat-free mass. Best of all, this recent study employed the latest in body composition measurements-deuterated water isotopic analysis which utilizes a non-radioactive "tracer". Now it is possible that some inferior-grade creatine may actually promote water gain that results in a soft, puffy look. However, this can be due to several reasons. One, it may not be due to the creatine, but excess sodium. When cheaply manufactured, excess sodium remains in the finished product."
Click to expand...

:goodpost:

What brands would you say are superior creatine brands?

In my closet right now I have Universal and A/X...
 
I looked up Universal and they seem pretty good, German creatine is usually higher quality. I'm using Muscle Pharm right now and it's a pretty good blend.
 
A little difficult to explain and I am by far not a chemist and biologist. It is a way to measure body composition and its respective water content.

Invalid Link Removed

Invalid Link Removed

Invalid Link Removed
 
Assuming along with that increase in calories, you increased carbohydrates also, its likely water retention. Each gram of CHO carries 3g of water.
 
puffiness from creatine and water retention would show in your arms and face, maybe shoulders, if your abdomen is spongy thats just fat
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top