Short answer, is Yes it CAN But there are some things you can do to minimize fat gain. In any fat loss plan, there are three main components that should be priority: Diet, Exercise, and Sleep. A moderate amount of alcohol can increase total calories, decrease your motivation for exercise, and negatively affect your sleep. When you drink, alcohol passes through your liver, then into your blood, and then back into your liver where it breaks down some of the alcohol into Acetate