Question: I have been taking 2-3gm of creatine per day mixed extremely well with 16-17oz lukewarm water, that too on workout days (i.e. I avoid the non-workout days) for at least 2.5 months now. However, I feel that the paunch/belly fat I had, as mentioned in [this post of mine](https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/32030/how-much-cardio-is-advisable-for-an-overweight-person-who-is-new-to-bodybuilding), has increased considerably. Now, if I start taking whey protein, would the cons (from the pov of fat in belly/waist) overweigh the pros significantly? 

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Edit: I linked a wrong thread instead of the one I intended to, earlier. The correction has been made.

Answer: 
To answer the valid question here:

### Does Creatine cause bloating?

Yes, the water retention usually seen with higher (>10g) loading doses can exceed five pounds (more than two kilograms). Lower doses may cause less water retention. While water mass is not muscle mass (though both count as lean mass), prolonged creatine supplementation is met with an increased rate of muscle growth.

<https://examine.com/supplements/creatine/#hem-weight>

Do you need to load creatine? No. <http://examine.com/nutrition/do-i-need-to-load-creatine/>

However: **you are retaining more water, not more fat**. Your weight is going up as a result of supplementing creatine increasing water retention but that weight is **not fat**. Some bodybuilders cycle off creatine for competitions but it varies from person-to-person.

Note: Some body-fat measuring scales (using electrical resistance) which claim to tell you your body-fat percentage are affected massively by your hydration/water level. Taking creatine may make it read falsely that your body-fat has gone up.

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If that first post was from you I'd say that personally it sounds like you are trying to cut to show abs you probably don't have. Based on the original questions statistics (weigh/height) my personal recommendation would be to focus your main effort on your strength training, following a structured barbell program will help a lot. Consistency is key here.
It can, but I can't tell for sure it's causing the problem in your case, or the other part of your diet is. The fact is, different diet plans work differently on different people. You may be allergic or intolerant to certain components of your diet, or the supplement you are taking. You get yourself checked by a doctor if the issue persists. Why not to go off it for a few weeks, and see how it works? If you just want to look good, you don't need those, but that's just my opinion.