How can you lose weight and keep it off in this fat-and-sugar-laden food culture? The same way you get to Carnegie Hall: practice, practice, practice.

What do you practice? You practice throwing that brownie in the trash and having an apple instead.

Recently, researchers reported that it's one of the first steps in what's called acceptance-based behavioral therapy (ABT).

Their study, published in the journal Obesity, found that "weight loss with ABT is among the largest ever reported in the behavioral treatment literature without use of an aggressive diet or medication."

After a year of twice-monthly counseling, participants who received ABT lost 13.3 percent of their initial weight compared to 9.8 percent weight loss for participants who received standard behavioral therapy only.

What's ABT's secret? It teaches you to have increased mindfulness about what you're eating and to accept that learning new eating behaviors is tough, but worth it.

Also, ABT associates motivation with personal values, keeping you focused on what matters to you.

You can integrate one of the powerful principals of ABT into your life starting today: Take a moment to look at what you're eating before you put it in your mouth.

Acknowledge that you want it; then ask yourself, "Does this food measure up to the quality I deserve?"

You'll be surprised at how this helps you make healthier choices, attain a healthier weight and feel younger.