Melissa Joan Hart says cutting 2 things out of her diet helped her lose 18 pounds

• Melissa Joan Hart, 49, says she lost 18 pounds by cutting two things from her diet.
• Hart said she started paying attention to her lifestyle because she's on a "longevity journey."
• "I just wanted to feel better. It had nothing to do with losing weight," she said.

Melissa Joan Hart, 49, says she lost 18 pounds last year after eliminating two things from her diet.

"I actually feel stronger and better than I have in a really long time," Hart told People in an interview published on Monday.

The "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" star said she's been working out "really hard" because she's on a "a health journey, like a longevity journey."

"I just wanted to feel better. It had nothing to do with losing weight. I really didn't think I could lose weight anymore, being in midlife and perimenopause and all those things, I was like, 'Can I really lose weight? I don't think I can,'" Hart said.

Even so, she decided to make some lifestyle changes.

"And in doing that and discovering fasting and cutting sugars and cutting alcohol — I haven't had a drink in over a year," the actor said. "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."

"I lost about 18 pounds last year," Hart added.

She says she doesn't enjoy drinking water, but makes an effort to stay hydrated with other beverages.

"My husband says when I drink a glass of water, I make a face like it's the most disgusting thing on earth," Hart said.

Instead, club soda with lime and tea have become her go-tos. "I'll do hot tea, cold tea, green tea, peppermint tea, any kind of tea," she said.

Hart is one of several celebrities who have spoken about how cutting certain foods helped them lose weight.

In July, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen said he sticks to a protein-heavy diet and has a team chef cooking for him during training in Buffalo.

"I'm also taking the butter and dairy out, trying to eat very clean," Allen said.

In January, Matt Damon said cutting out gluten helped him slim down to a weight he hadn't been at since high school.

"I used to walk around between 185 and 200. I did that whole movie at 167. And I haven't been that light since high school. So it was a lot of training and a really strict diet," Damon said.