Started creatine and the scale went up? Before you cut your food, check what that number includes. A scale measures everything together, including water, muscle, fat and the food you have just eaten.

Creatine commonly increases water retention. That can raise body weight without showing an increase in body fat. The amount varies, so someone else’s first week is not a target you need to match.

Over time, creatine can support repeated high intensity efforts. Muscle growth still depends on training and nutrition. An overnight jump cannot tell you how much muscle you have built, or how much fat you have lost.

For a clearer comparison, use the same scale under similar conditions. Note when you started creatine, then look at your weight trend alongside waist measurements and the training you can actually perform.

Travel can make the picture noisier. A salty restaurant meal, a different weighing time and a new workout routine may all change together. Keep those details in your notes instead of guessing from one weigh-in.

The article below includes a simple progress log and explains which changes a bathroom scale can and cannot identify. Use it before changing a plan because of one number.