How Melissa Joan Hart Lost Nearly 20 Pounds Without The Hollywood Quick Fix

"Sabrina the Teenage Witch" alum Melissa Joan Hart recently admitted that she believed being in perimenopause would stop her from achieving her fitness goals. However, in a new interview, the iconic actress, also known for her time on "Clarissa Explains It All," revealed that she lost nearly 20 pounds by making two simple changes. Even better, her latest achievement came just before her 50th birthday.

Speaking with PEOPLE, Hart explained that her significant weight loss came by way of eliminating sugar and alcohol from her diet.

According to the "Drive Me Crazy" star, she began taking her fitness journey seriously after realizing she "wanted to feel better."

"I actually feel stronger and better than I have in a really long time," Hart, who turns 50 on April 18, explained.

Hart got even more candid about her weight loss journey during her recent interview, sharing that she initially believed she couldn't lose weight due to "being in midlife and perimenopause."

According to PEOPLE and the Mayo Clinic, hormonal changes "make it more likely for women to gain weight around the abdomen."

Hart, however, experienced the opposite after discovering "fasting and cutting sugars and cutting alcohol." In fact, the actress hasn't had an alcoholic beverage in over a year.

In a previous interview, Hart had spoken boldly about her fear of gaining weight, especially as a working woman in Hollywood.

"I was extremely nervous about the weight because I was due in the middle of pilot season and here I am trying to get a new show on the air," she said. "I was also doing this movie [Holiday in Handcuffs, ABC Family's highest-rated original telecast ever] and truthfully, I have heard of people being fired from projects before for getting pregnant, and I was really worried."

Hart explained that at the time, she lost the weight by working out and being active with her young child. She also explained that her food portions naturally became smaller because she didn't have much time to herself.

Elsewhere during her recent conversation, Hart stated that she's simply not a fan of alcohol, so she doesn't "bother" drinking. "So I cut these things out of my life, and I started to feel better. And in doing that, I lost a lot of weight and kind of feel great," she said.

Later in her interview, Hart also revealed that she's not into water, adding that her husband, Mark Wilkerson, jokes that when she drinks a glass, she makes "a face like it's the most disgusting thing on earth."

"He's like, 'You just don't like drinking anything, even water.' I'm, like, sipping on it, like, 'Eww,'" she said.

Instead, Hart is enjoying other beverages these days, such as different kinds of tea. "I'll do hot tea, cold tea, green tea, peppermint tea, any kind of tea."

This isn't the first time Hart has been open about her health. According to a previous report from The Blast, Hart once shared a post to her Instagram Stories encouraging her female followers to schedule their annual mammograms.

"Yearly reminder to my ladies out there to get your tatas checked!" she wrote, adding the hashtag, "#MammogramsSaveLives."

The American Cancer Society encourages women to begin annual mammograms, which can detect breast cancer before symptoms show, at the age of 40.

Hart's message came a couple of years after she opened up about her cancer scare online. In 2019, the actress revealed that she received a scary call from her doctor after they received unclear results from her mammogram.

While her follow-up test came back clear, the mother of three was visibly shaken by the news. "It was a little nerve-wracking, but everything's good. It's all clear… I'm glad I did what I had to do and listened to the doctors. So far, so good," she said.

Hart added, "Just wanted to share my little journey of emotion this afternoon!! All is good but just feeling vulnerable today... Reminder to all women over 35—get your mammogram!!"