Welcome! I am also new here, started today and am in the exact same boat as you. I am 5'2 and was 204 about two months ago. Today I am 192ish and making very slow progress. LOL.
I am exactly like you, I had no idea the amount of weight gain until I went to the doctor after years and ballooned from 140ish maybe a little less to 200. I have no idea how I could have overlooked such a huge gain, but not owning a scale definitely helped. My doctor also thinks my birth control Depo Provera had a large part also. I suppose I am one of the rare cases in which it helped me gain wayyy more than most.
The best thing for me over the last two months was getting a calorie counter app for my phone. I log everything I eat, good days, bad days, and it has really helped me get an idea of my eating patterns. It also shows you how many calories are in things you wouldn't imagine would be so high. Like a margarita for example, I was floored when I saw that on a happy hour day one margarita can be 500 calories!!! WHAT!!!!! So the hardest thing for me has been to cut down on wine and my love for the occasional margarita or 4 a couple times a month.
You are not alone! I have started my small steps and am trying to set mini goals so that I am not depressed when I'm not 130 pounds by July.
Good luck on your journey and remember that consistency is KEY. Visual results take time so be patient and start small!