A dog walker who couldn’t walk up a hill without gasping for breath has lost over six stone with weight loss jabs and can now shop XS sizes at Primark.
Rebecca Johnson, from Staffordshire, spent most of her adult life battling with her weight.
She also suffered a slipped disc, spondylosis that caused constant pain and was on antidepressants for mental health.
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Despite being on her feet all day, as a dog walker and trainer, the 29-year-old feared she might have a heart attack or stroke.
Mortified and humiliated, she vowed things had to change.
“Walking the dogs left me out of breath, and even small hills felt impossible,” she told Need To Know.
“I honestly thought I was going to have a heart attack or a stroke.
“I couldn’t walk into a pub without worrying if everyone was staring at me.
“Even everyday things felt impossible.
“I felt like I was carrying extra weight everywhere.
“It affected my confidence, my mood, and even my relationships.”
The true wake-up call came during a family trip to Spain when Rebecca sat down and realised her legs were stuck in a chair.
She’d already struggled through another embarrassing holiday moment prior to this, when she was forced to ask for a seatbelt extender on a flight to Northern Ireland.
her confidence plummeted.
She said: “For my partner’s mum’s 50th in Northern Ireland, I had to use a seatbelt extender.
“And in Benidorm, I sat down in a chair and my legs got stuck.
“It was mortifying.”
In February 2025, after months of hesitation, Rebecca decided to start Mounjaro.
She was nervous at first but within two weeks, she’d already dropped a stone.
Now, from her starting weight of 22st, Rebecca has lost six and a half stone.
The dog walker said: “I can now wear XS Primark clothes and buy high street fashion.
“This is everything I needed.
“The food noise is gone.
“I can eat three meals a day, make good food choices.
“It’s truly helped me take control of my appetite.”
Rebecca can now power through high-intensity workouts, including burpees – something she never imagined – and walking dogs is no longer a struggle.
Her old back problems have eased completely – she hasn’t had a single flare-up in five months – and she’s come off her antidepressants.
She said: “I can walk the dogs without getting out of breath and I don’t feel like everyone is staring at me anymore.
“Even my partner [Rosie] has joined me on this journey, which has made weddings, holidays, and meals less stressful.
“I wanted to feel my best for this next chapter.
“By the time I’m 30, I want to be a healthy weight, and this journey is helping me get there.
“Even my mental health has improved.
“ I feel like I’ve been given a second chance at life.
“I can finally walk into a shop and buy clothes that fit without worrying, and I can take on activities I never thought possible.
“This isn’t just about weight loss, it’s about reclaiming my life.”
Rebecca first got Mounjaro through her local pharmacy but after two months she switched to Voy, a support platform that pairs medication with one-to-one coaching and AI check-ins.
She is on a 15mg dose.
The couple are starting IVF and planning their wedding in 2027, and also plan to climb Snowdon for Rebecca’s 30th birthday next year.
She said: “I honestly don’t think I could have done this without Voy’s ongoing support – it’s more than a programme, it’s a lifeline.”
Her goal weight is between 13.5-14st.
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