The basics A new book, The Structure House Weight Loss Plan, promises to give you all the wisdom of the renowned four-week live-in weight-loss center, where residents take 80 classes in exercise, psychology, and nutrition.

One former resident calls the Durham, North Carolina program a “college education for healthy living.”

It boasts an impressive success rate, claiming 92 percent of patients continue to lose or maintain their weight loss two years after leaving.

Who it’s for Dieters who thrive on, well, structure, will love the plan. The Structure House Weight Loss Plan asks you to fill out self-assessments, design exercise routines, and use diaries to plan meals using guidelines. Below, some activity and eating tips.

Activity Thirty minutes of daily aerobic activity is a must; you choose what you want to do and when. Round out the week with two to three strength-training workouts and three stretching-and-flexibility sessions.

What you can eat The Structure House Weight Loss Plan walks you through a formula that calculates calorie needs based on age, activity, and more.

Then calories get translated into a precise number of servings from each of six basic food lists – dairy, fruit, vegetables, starch, meat, and fat. Stick to those servings, divided over three meals a day. That’s it. No nibbling, no snacks. [via]