Begin With the First StepTurner, whose approach combines asana with nutritional and psychological counseling, notices that her clients and students are bombarded with media messages about what a beautiful body looks like, messages that tell us to look outside ourselves for validation and acceptance. But trying to live up to an ideal that is unrealistic and often unhealthy is likely to backfire, Turner says, especially when used as a motivator for weight loss. John Bagnulo, PhD, nutritionist for Kripalu's weight loss program agrees, adding that people often develop a false sense of what their body should look like, and yoga can help them work through that. "Western diets encourage people to ask the 'should' questions. How long should I work out? How many calories should I eat every day?" he says. Yoga, on the other hand, suggests kinder and ultimately more transformative questions like, How do I feel in my body right now? What choices can I make that are healthier for my whole being?