It's quite possible you've gained muscle roughly corresponding to your weight loss, which lines up with going down a clothes size and seeing some muscles--you've lost body fat and gained muscle. Easy gains aren't forever, so you'll definitely start seeing that number go down this next month. The number goes down in the end. You're doing it right.
Keep weighing yourself once a week. Fat loss quickly outpaces newbie gains and added water weight and the numbers will start dropping again. Creatine is always good. Creatine is your friend.
Don't focus on the scale. I have a good 100lbs to lose, so I use the scale to see how that's going. Body measurements are king for progress over the scale.
Well, there's so much that can throw the scale off. I gain 5 to 10 pounds every Monday evening, and lose it all Sunday night. Why? Saturday and Sunday are my rest days and my body lets go of the water in my muscles. Hell, I gained 10lbs after my first workout. Scales are for rough trends. The tape doesn't lie as long as you don't have a pump.
Speaking as someone who was once 260+ and now 220+, weight loss (in terms of pounds dropped, dont talk about stuff like muscle definition or aesthetics) is incredibly easy, I'd actually got away with (relatively speaking) a lot of bullshit while doing it. For me it was 1. not eating when not hungry, 2. not eating ridiculous quantities each time, and 3. weightlifting. I was still doing bullshit like going to mcdonalds and didnt really go hungry during the period.
Drinking my was vice as well for 4-5 years, easily had a can or 3 a night which adds up calorie wise.
Depends. I only "skip" the gym if I'm literally falling asleep at work exhausted, or feeling sick. Yesterday was a combination of both. But it's not really skipping for me. I have a 4 day split (push, pull, legs, accessories), so im just shifting the week one day. All other days are just my usual lunchtime cardio (which i always do).
I am 2 months sober from alcohol. Made it my new years resolution not to drink for the whole year.
I think others will have more specific/better advice to give here, but try looking up some single arm/dumbbell back exercises (like a bent over row) instead of ones where you use a barbell/both hands at the same time. This way your more dominant/stronger side can't take over and do the hard work with out you realising. Eventually over time things should even out.
Isolation exercises. Also, avoid exercises where you use both arms at the same time such as barbell rows. You can do cable rows with a single grip to help out. Do things like dumbell rows or the hammer strength machines where each side is independent, and exercise at a weight suitable to your weak side rather than your strong side.
Here's a few videos on the subject.