Not just losing weight but finding myself :) (-125lbs)

I should have done this last summer when I hit my goal weight (May 2011) but better late than never.
I started out at 275 (and even at 5'7" it wasn't a weight I could "pull-off", ugh!) I hadn't been overweight all my life or even struggled with weight problems until I turned 18 and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (I finally went to the Dr. when I realized that even though I'd hadn't changed my eating/exercise habits I gained 50lbs in 3 months!) -- even after that diagnosis I went on to gain another 75lbs... so I went from 150 @ age 18 to 250-276 all in one year... yikes. I then spent the next 4 years struggling with depression, anger, and self-loathing which when I look back on it now was all directly related to the weight gain (and several other things going on with family) but couldn't make the connection then.
I started dating my now husband, a few months before I started gaining the weight and I thank God for him every day because he stuck by my side and loved me just the same (how he managed that is beyond me sometimes - I was an emotional and physical wreck 90% of the time!) no matter what.
After we got engaged on May 17, 2010 (I was at my very heaviest) I decided that I needed and wanted to change my life for myself and for him -- I realized that I had so much to live for, so much to love, so much to be thankful for and I was throwing my life away - and for what? An extra few slices of pizza and cake? So that I could sit alone, in my bedroom and wolf down as much food as possible in order to numb my emotions? I was throwing away my future completely.
So on June 27, 2010 something just "clicked" and I changed my life FOREVER. I started eating healthy, spent hours and hours researching nutrition (unfortunately didn't find MFP until the following January I believe) and started to exercise.
I cut down my portions, starting throwing in healthy nutritious foods and joined my local gym where I started swimming several times a week and doing the elliptical several times a week. By May 2011 I was at 155lbs (5lbs away from my original goal!) and our wedding was June 11, 2011 - I was so overjoyed that I got to spend that day (and every day after) feeling beautiful and loved - and wasn't constantly worried about how I looked because I KNEW I looked good! ;-) As well, I can proudly display our wedding pictures around our home and on FB.
I look back now and mourn for the years that I spent being obese, the years I spent being angry, the years that were wasted... but that fat girl is still inside of me... still part of me... she just knows that she's never allowed to come back because she's not healthy - but she played an important role - she showed me what I never wanted to be again and what I would never do to myself again. She showed me a very dark side to life and now allows me to empathize with people who are struggling the way I did.
Currently I am at 175 because I decided to enjoy the holidays and I indulged... I didn't necessarily eat bad foods, I just didn't control my portions - 15 of the 20lbs that I gained back over the last 7 months were in December alone (we went on a cruise for our Honeymoon and I didn't even try to resist the food!!). I knew I'd gain and I also knew that I'd be able to lose it again but I decided that in the end... indulging wasn't really worth it. It wasn't worth the strain that it puts on my body (to gain and lose weight back and forth) even though it was such a small amount compared to what I'd previously gained/lost.
So I'm currently in the midst of losing the 20lbs that I gained through portion control and light exercise (I'm not a believer in being a slave to the gym... my goal is to exercise naturally by walking around and moving as much as possible while throwing in some light jogging at the gym and weight lifting at home throughout the week).
I do know that there will be times where I do choose cake over salad or pizza over skinless chicken but I will choose one slice of cake or one slice of pizza... it truly is about moderation... my goal is to eat healthy 90% of the time and to just let loose and be a bit care free the other 10% of the time. There will be times where I pass through the kitchen after dinner and eat a cookie... I just won't eat 5...or 10 of them.
I trust that my body where get where it needs to be and that I will love it and be thankful for all that it has been through.

3 biggest lessons I've learned:
1. Moderation TRULY is KEY
2. Eating clean makes a BIG difference (not just in weight but how you feel overall)
3. Exercise is important but it's more important to just keep moving throughout your day and be active naturally then to slave away at the gym for hours.

Stats:

Height: 5'7"
Starting Weight: 276
Ending Weight: 155
Current (Temporary) Weight: 175
Starting size: 18/20
Ending size: 6/8
Current (Temporary) Size: 10/12

Below is my official before/after photos taken at my Dr's office and some wedding pictures (taken in June 2011 - despite the extra 20lbs I don't really look all that different currently)