You sound like you are describing me. I weigh 223, am 5'6' and wearing an XL, which is rapidly shrinking to even smaller. I lifted for years too, back about 10 years ago. I think some of the muscle has been retained from then (and from being way heavier than I am now and carrying all that weight around).

I've only been lifting regularly (again) since about June, but have worn 16s and 18s, although my belly still holds a lot of fat, and sometimes they fasten other days they don't. That is the weirdest thing that I can never figure out. I've had days when I weighed way more than I do now and have comfortably worn my size sixteen jeans. Other days weighing less I can't. I guess it has to do with how much water weight is in there bulking things up.