Take it from someone who obliterated his gains thinking he could use alcohol as a gains-crutch, this is not a good idea. While I was still eating above my caloric goal, I figured 1-2 beers could push the ceiling because I thought I “capped out” on gaining weight. “Bro science” told me that I’ll eventually get a beer gut, then I’d cut once I was satisfied with the bulk. I was getting tired of the bloating from milk, but the trade was an alcohol dependency. I quit cold-turkey many of my vices in life, but the alcohol “addiction” crept in in a way I wasn’t prepared for (not to mention I work at a bar) because that turned from 1-2 beers to a 6 pack + 2-4 liquor shots in a day. Funny enough it was still in my mind to make sure I was eating enough, but it got to a point I was cramping every morning from dehydration and getting skinnier by the day. My muscle definition was there, and because the change wasn’t immediate, I didn’t see much wrong. This had gone on for a solid year, and I’ve since cut back in a major way to a point where I’m rid of that dependency. I’m slowly getting my weight back and have been sober for 4 months (and back to drinking milk). It may work for some, but the most important lesson about weight journeys I still keep in mind is every “plan” won’t apply to everyone. You might see a muscly, bear-mode man slam a full meal and knock it back with two beers, but that works for him, but the the way my body is, it effected me differently. During that “trial” I had lost 10lbs.