My main aim is to build muscle and lose bodyfat, but I heard creatine makes you balloon after the first few days of taking them. Is this true and is it a permanent effect?

Is it wise when trying to burn bodyfat or only when you are trying to bulk?
Also it says to take a loading dosage, 5 tablets, 5 times a day for four days, but I hear this is a load of rubbish and you don't need to?

How many tablets per day? They are 1000mg creatine monohydrate (I think, the pure stuff anyway, definitely 1000mg per tablet).

I was thinking 2 per day? One before 10AM and one at around 4PM? I usually work out in the evenings around 8PM if that makes any difference when to take them. Any help appreciated as I am planning to start taking them tomorrow...

Yeah, loading is BS. I think one or two is sufficient, I don't know which. And the bloating from creatine is from water storage. It has nothing to do with making you fatter. It'll help you build muscle by reducing reovery time, for starters.

Thanks I will try starting them tomorrow, do they physically make you "look" fatter due to the water retention or does it just affect the scales?

I'm going to try just the two and see how it goes.