My 3-week experiment with creatine

I’ve been running a personal experiment with creatine over these past three weeks.

Not because I thought I needed it, but because so many in our community already take it. And I wanted to know the firsthand lived experience of what happens when creatine is thrown in the mix.

Here’s my story, the lessons, and what you should know before trying it.

First, what is creatine?

Creatine is a natural compound stored in your muscles and brain. Its job is to help your body quickly make energy (ATP) during short, intense efforts: like lifting, sprinting, or even deep focus.

You get it two ways:

1) Directly from food: mostly red meat, poultry, and fish (about 1–2 g per pound).

2) Made in your body: from amino acids (glycine, arginine, methionine) in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas.

Why are people supplementing now?

The average modern diet, which is more plant-based than ever, only provides ~1–2 g/day if you’re eating sufficient protein, but your muscles can hold ~3–5 g.

Training, aging, lack of muscle mass, sarcopenic obesity, vegan/vegetarian diets, and stress increase demand, so topping off with a supplement theoretically can help your body stay at full capacity.

How did humans survive before supplements?

Historically, diets were richer in animal foods (including organ meats), which naturally replenished creatine. Today, with leaner diets, more plant-forward eating, and higher training loads, supplementation has become more relevant.

I started taking 5g daily and here’s what I noticed:

Strength & Energy: From the very first day, my workouts felt different. I am in total beast mode with more power, heavier lifts, faster runs. It was like my body found another gear. Creatine feels more effective than any pre-workout or caffeine I've ever tried for enhanced athletic performance.  

Weight on the Scale: Because creatine pulls water and sodium into muscle, I gained ~2 pounds on the scale. But my InBody scan confirmed it was muscle and intracellular fluid, not fat. If you panic when the scale ticks up, creatine is not your best first tool.

Recovery & Muscle: I’ve been less sore even while pushing harder. And in just three weeks, my body composition scan showed a pound of new lean mass. However, if you take creatine and aren't following a progressive strength training program and/or aren't pushing yourself to volitional fatigue, I wouldn't expect a change in muscle mass.

Appetite: My hunger increased. A lot! That makes sense: more training output, more muscle tissue, higher metabolic rate, more food needed. However, if you aren't aware of your nutritional intake and don't have consistent eating habits, the increase in hunger could potentially have a detrimental impact.

Thirst: My thirst drastically increased. Creatine pulls water and sodium into muscle cells, so you need even more mineral rich water than you think. I already drink plenty of water, so this one kind of floored me! I would definitely not recommend a ton of dehydrated substances like alcohol while taking creatine, especially if your water intake isn't already optimized. 

Brain & Clarity: This one surprised me most. I noticed clearer thinking, sharper communication, and even better focus in my writing and coaching.

Sleep: I’ve struggled with sleep my whole life, although it has drastically improved since rising with the sun and practicing healthy circadian habits. But lately, I’ve been waking up even more refreshed, remembering my dreams, and feeling the difference in deep, restorative sleep.

Cycle: My period was delayed a few days. Nothing alarming but I am going to keep taking creatine for at least another month to see if it was just a one-time blip or if my cycle naturally lengthens with supplementation.

Now, here’s the bigger perspective.

My approach with all supplements is extremely conservative.

Why? Because every supplement, by virtue of being isolated or extracted, can carry what’s called a deuterium load (a heavy isotope of hydrogen).

Deuterium, when present in excess, is theorized to slow mitochondrial function, affecting metabolism, ATP production, and overall energy efficiency.

In simpler terms: when you take nutrients in their whole-food form, your body uses them optimally. When you take them as isolated powders and capsules, they don’t always work the same way... and can even create more stress on your system if you’re already overloaded.

This is why I always change one variable at a time (in this case, just creatine) so I can track exactly what’s shifting.

How I See Creatine Now (And Whom It’s For)

Creatine is not a beginner’s tool. It’s a fine-tuning supplement.

It works best when your foundational habits are solid: consistent nutrition, regular strength training, good sleep, balanced hormones.

It’s most compelling for people who already have a healthy body composition and want to experiment with further optimization.

I could see this being particularly helpful for women in their 40s+, in perimenopause, menopause, or anyone wanting better cognition, sleep, or recovery who already has the foundational aspects of nutrition and training down solid like our alumni.

But if your cycle shifts, your hunger goes wild, you drink alcohol regularly, you have a high deuterium load, you don't understand nutrition science, aren't following a consistent progressive strength training program, or the number on the scale stresses you out... creatine is likely not right for you.

Supplements are never the first go to when it comes to improving health.

If this resonated and you’re tired of guessing...

If you want a methodical, safe, results-oriented way to bring in supplements like creatine at the right time, we should talk.

Inside Awaken Your Nutrition, you’ll learn:

• How to build your nutritional foundation (macros, timing, appetite control)

• How to layer in performance tools (supplements, strength, recovery) safely

• How to read your body’s feedback (cycles, sleep, clarity, energy)

• How to optimize for your life stage (40s+, perimenopause, hormonal shifts)

[Click here to book a free application call by 10/30]

On this call, we'll help you determine the exact next steps to help you reach your goals.

Let’s skip the random experimentation phase and go straight to what works.

In closing, what's my verdict on creatine? TBD. I'll give it another month, then stop taking it, assess any changes, and report back here with an update.

I'd love to hear from you if you've taken creatine and what your experience has been. Just comment below and let's chat!

Yours in health,

Lisa and The Green Door Life Team

P.S. for those asking, I bought Orgain Creatine Monohydrate from Costco. Clean brand + great value. I didn’t front load and taper off. I simply started with 5g per day, which is the recommended serving size. If notice strange side effects, you could start with less. The key is consistency to saturate the muscles with creatine. Time of day when you take it does not matter but I take mine in the morning before my workouts.

P.P.S. I got my period and overall, it was only a couple days late. I’ll report back next month if I notice any other changes!