Like many people preparing to reunite with old friends, Cathy Carrick of Girard wanted to look her best at her class reunion. Having tried to lose weight the conventional way, with little success, she turned to the Sadkhin Complex.

"It wasn't easy. I am not going to say it was, because I actually know somebody that went on it with me and she didn't stick it out," Carrick said.

The Sadkhin Complex, which was developed by a Russian cardiologist, combines a restrictive diet with acupuncture techniques.

Clients can only eat between the hours of 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. For the first two days of the diet clients are allowed to eat no more than 1.5 pounds of fruits and vegetables. The following two days clients can drink up to 2.5 cups of milk or eat up to 20 ounces of yogurt. Clients then rotate between the two menus until they reach their goal weight. Tea with honey is allowed throughout the entire diet. During the weight loss program, steel balls are placed behind a client's ears. Clients are encouraged to rotate the balls 40 times every two hours.

"It is actually the pressure behind the ears that causes a signal to be sent to the hypothalamus and hormones are released in order to suppress the hunger," said Dr Carmelita Reyes.

While the diet claims to help clients lose up to 25 pounds a month, Dr. Reyes is the first to admit it is not for everyone. Women who are nursing or pregnant and people with health conditions such as diabetes should avoid it.

"In the beginning I was apprehensive, you know, being a doctor talking about acupressure, acupuncture. It's not really part of our, not really part of medicine," said Dr. Reyes.

Although, when Dr. Reyes found success with the diet, she became a believer in it. Carrick also lost 20 pounds. However, dietitians say eating a variety of foods will leave people feeling fuller and can help them to lose weight as long as they eat in moderation.