InstagramMelissa Joan Hart is proud of her bikini body—and for good reason!
The Melissa & Joey actress unveiled her slimmed-down shape via Instagram Tuesday. Rocking a coral-colored bikini and a wide-brimmed hat, the former teen queen looked radiant after dropping 40 lbs.
"It's not everyday I like to show a lot of skin but these days I'm feeling confidant. Thanks Nutrisystem!" Hart wrote in the photo caption. "Look for my new commercial that begins airing April 21!"
"It's the first time I've been able to wear a bikini in probably 10 years," she said on Good Morning America Wednesday. "I felt confident enough to wear a bikini because I lost 40lbs with Nutrisystem and I've been able to just keep going. I've been able to be fit and healthy and have a lot of energy for my boys."
When Hart announced her partnership with the company in February, she modeled a blue-one piece swimsuit. "I felt prepared. I was confident," the actress told Entertainment Tonight of the photo shoot. "I don't wear bikinis even when I go to the beach, so when I put it on in front of the cameras and all these people, and my husband showed up—it's nerve-wracking but the feeling is very satisfying."
Hart said she gained 60 pounds while pregnant in 2012.
"For me, it was important to bond with my child, as opposed to 'lose the weight.' So I waited until I was ready, and I knew I had the time, and then I made it a priority that I would eat well," she said.
Now, the Clarissa Explains It All actress is happier than ever with her figure.
"I could live like this," Hart, a married mother of three, said. "I love where I'm at and I feel amazing."
Other Nutrisystem spokespeople include Marie Osmond and Dan Marino.
(Originally published on Wed., Apr. 9, 2014, at 4:56 a.m. PDT)