Alexandria Wyckoff
Melissa Joan Hart recently celebrated her 50th birthday on the heels of a stunning 18-pound weight loss. She’s entering her 50s feeling stronger, leaner, and more energized than before.
Now, the actress is opening up about her weight loss, from overcoming her perimenopausal symptoms to changing her diet.
Feeling Good 50s
Melissa Joan Hart celebrated her 50th birthday on Saturday. Along with her birthday celebrations, she’s enjoying her 18-pound weight loss over the past year.
The goal wasn’t to chase a magical number on the scale, but instead to create simple yet powerful lifestyle changes to increase her health for the future.
She shared with People, “I actually feel stronger and better than I have in a really long time. I lost about 18 pounds last year.”
Dealing with Perimenopause
Hart’s journey is inspiring to begin with, but it’s especially powerful to women who are dealing with similar midlife struggles, like periomenopause. At first, Hart believed weight loss was not attainable when dealing with perimenopause.
“I really didn’t think I could lose weight anymore, being in midlife and perimenopause and all those things,” she shared. “I was like, ‘Can I really lose weight? I don’t think I can.'”
While hormonal shifts can cause weight gain around the abdomen, Hart figured out that small and consistent changes could be her way of pushing back on midlife struggles.
Drinks and Diet
Melissa Joan Hart centered her health journey on cutting out triggers.
She explained that it mainly consisted of “Fasting and cutting sugars and cutting alcohol.” Hart revealed she hadn’t had a drink in over a year, not because she limited herself, but because she just doesn’t want one anymore.
“I just don’t even enjoy drinking. So why bother? 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.”
Instead of alcohol, Hart enjoys club soda with limes or tea, especially green tea and peppermint tea, for their refreshing and soothing flavors.
As for fueling her body, Hart’s diet is all about nourishment. This includes a vegetable-based protein shake with greens and fruit for breakfast, a protein-rich meal such as salad or soup for lunch, and a protein-rich dinner served alongside lots of vegetables.
She’ll also make healthy food swaps, including replacing traditional pasta with vegetable-based alternatives.
Exercise
While diet is important, exercise is another huge part of Hart’s routine. The actress is an avid gym-goer and often posts about her workouts on social media.
She even showed off her strength training skills in a recent clip by performing push-ups using 15-pound weights, while wearing high heels and jeans.
She wrote, “Fun new project I’m working on… and I asked for 15lb weights in my room to get my pump on… in my pumps.”
Skincare Routine
Beyond just working out and eating healthy, Melissa Joan Hart has expanded her health routine to skincare, too.
She often applies sunscreen, moisturizer, and vitamin C serums every day. Hart also stressed using anti-wrinkle care and even changing sleep positions to lessen any future wrinkles.
Hart said, “Sunscreen and moisturiser always. And do not sleep on your side.” She’s currently fighting chest wrinkles and “tech neck.”
While she’s still working on some pieces of her body, Hart is on a “longevity journey” and has already made some great strides towards a healthier future.