GUYS!! We are BACCKKKK! We know so many of y’all had been asking us for months if we were going to be coming back, and we are so glad to finally be back, and on a regular schedule. Thank you to all of you who were so devoted. We honestly didn’t even think that many people actually listened, or cared, haha. But, it is SO nice to hear. Seriously makes our day!
In case you miss any of our future episodes of An Extra Dose, you can listen to them under on our main page (adoubledose.com > Lifestyle > Podcasts).
A little about this episode:
On this episode, the Belbel sisters discuss their transition from their corporate jobs to entrepreneurship, what they typically eat for breakfast, and they finish off with their favorites this week.
We would LOOOOVE to hear your feedback. We are just starting out, so any tips or anything you want answered, we are all ears! Also, don’t forget to rate + review us on iTunes.
To listen to the episode, click the PLAY button at the top, or you can search “an extra dose” in iTunes or the podcast app!
Send any questions you wanted answered on An Extra Dose to [email protected] OR comment below on this post.
We originally posted this a year or two ago, but we have gotten so many requests for a post like this, so we wanted to update it for y’all!
We know when we first started eating healthier and trying to make better choices, it felt a little overwhelming when it came to eating out. We knew what to stick to at home, but when it came time to eat out, we had no idea how it was prepared, what to even order, or if the portion was too big. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming or give you anxiety. We think once you have the tools and practice it, it becomes second nature to you!
Eating is basically what we think about 24/7, and that is not a joke! It is kind of ridiculous. Even when we are eating one meal, We are already thinking about our next meal, haha. Another thing to note is, you are NOT being obnoxious or rude by asking how it is prepared. We will admit, we used to be pretty self-conscious about asking questions about how a dish is made, but it is so worth it!
To start, we thought it would be helpful to go over a few tips that anyone can follow!QUICK TIPS:
LOOK AT THE MENU AHEAD OF TIME:
We almost always (actually, no, we ALWAYS) look at the menu before we go somewhere. Especially if we are not the one who is picking the restaurant, we want to have a game-plan of what we can order or adjust to fit what I want or am craving. A lot of people are concerned and think that we need to pick the place we eat at, but really, we can find something anywhere. It may not be exactly what we wanted, but we can always make it work!
ORDER BASIC:
If you don’t see anything on the menu you can adjust, they can almost always bring a plain chicken breast or piece of fish with steamed veggies. We know it is nothing exciting, but it will work!
HAVE A LIGHT SNACK AHEAD OF TIME:
Another thing we try to do is trying to eat something small, like a snack, to hold us over. If we got to a restaurant absolutely starving, we are going to want to eat every.single.thing on that menu, and no, they will not be the healthier options;)
PICK A HEALTHY APPETIZER:
A lot of the times, there will sometimes be appetizers that can be pretty healthy like some hummus or guacamole with whole wheat pita or veggies for dipping (we almost always ask for veggies if we order hummus or something like that)! Sometimes they will also have a chicken skewer or something like that!
START WITH A SALAD:
We always recommend starting with a small salad (dressing on the side). DO NOT dump that entire creamy dressing on top of the salad. You are ruining what could be a healthier option.
If you can, we would suggest ordering oil and vinegar, instead of the creamy dressing the salad probably is served with. If you don’t like oil and vinegar, order the dressing it comes with on the side and dip your fork in the dressing and wipe it on the salad, so that you can put as much as you want without dumping it all over the salad.
STICK TO GREENS/VEGGIES:
We also suggest ordering green or some sort of veggies with your meal. I usually will swap out the grains or starchy carbs for a veggie instead!
GO WITH OLIVE OIL:
Most of the time, unfortunately, the restaurant doesn’t list out every single thing in the dish on the menu. Most dishes are made with way too much butter, salt, sugar, etc. All you really need is a little olive oil, salt, and pepper for something to taste good in my opinion! We will usually ask for ours to just be prepared with oil, and no butter!
BRING GG CRACKERS:
We know we had mentioned these crackers in a few other posts. These crackers are amazing and have a ton of fiber. We love bringing the plain ones in our purses to eat with salads, eggs, or swap out bread for. The sweet honey raisin crackers are also great just on their own if you’re craving something sweeter!
KEY WORDS:
Here are some phrases to watch out for when you’re looking at the menu! We tend to stick to the ones on the right, and avoid anything fried, creamy, or glazed (which probably means it has a ton of sugar in it).
BREAKFAST HACKS:
Breakfast is one of our favorite meals! We used to ALWAYS order a huge stack of pancakes, banana and chocolate-chip, to be exact! There is nothing wrong with some pancakes, but we would suggest instead of just ordering a big stack of them, to maybe try ordering an omelette (protein) with one pancake, or whatever the small order is.
We will usually order an omelette with all the vegetables they have and have it cooked with oil, not butter. If it comes with potatoes, we will usually swap them out for a side of fruit or a side salad with dressing on the side. There are also sometimes options like a breakfast hash or breakfast tacos. Just be sure to pick out something with vegetables (fiber) and protein in it!
We would also suggest trying to stay away from creamy sauces (or just ask for them on the side!) We also order hot water with lemon and/or coffee (of course!) We drink our coffee black, but if you can’t drink it black, we suggest bringing liquid stevia (or packets) with you and asking for unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk!
We also sometimes bring our own granola (we love this brand) to use with almond milk or yogurt. Most restaurant granolas can be packed with unnecessary sugars. Occasionally, we will sometimes bring our own syrup, haha. This one is not super “natural”, but it does have no sugars or carbs.
JAPANESE HACKS:
Sushi/Japanese food is always a great option and a go-to for many people! We love ordering sashimi and the seaweed salad! If you do order sushi rolls, we would suggest staying away from anything that has fried stuff on top or any sauces drizzle on top (you can get those on the side)!
Keep in mind that sushi does have a lot of rice on the rolls, so although rice is healthy, it does have a lot of carbs in it. You could try ordering one roll with rice, and one with maybe no rice (wrapped in cucumber) or get some sashimi on the side!
We also love using Liquid Aminos instead of soy sauce. You can bring that with you, instead of using the soy sauce if you’re like us;)
ITALIAN FOOD HACKS:
Italian food was literally a food group in our diet all through high school and college. All we wanted all of the time was pasta and more pasta. Oh, and pizza, too. When we went to Italy, we were amazed at how thin everyone is there, even with all the pasta and pizza. The reason being is that they don’t eat GIANT portions of it. They eat their pasta or pizza as an appetizer, so it is a much smaller portion, and then have fish or chicken as their main course.
If you do decide you want to order pasta as your main course, stick to a marina sauce, and not a cream-based sauce, and add in veggies and protein, like chicken or shrimp! We will usually order fish or chicken with veggies at an Italian restaurant. Sometimes they will bake the chicken in a tomato sauce with olives and other yummy stuff!
CHINESE FOOD HACKS:
Chinese is another cuisine we used to eat all of the time! We basically lived at PF Chang’s and a few other spots in college. We used to always order Lo Mein, Pepper Steak, or Beef and Broccoli. All of those aren’t terrible options, but the sauces tends to be sugary, high in salt, and just not the healthiest choice. Everything is great in moderation, though!
We will usually order one of those dishes with the sauce on the side OR we will order just veggies and chicken, steak, or shrimp steamed, and add hot mustard or a little gluten-free soy sauce or something on top to give it flavor! The egg drop soup is also a great soup option. Another option are the chicken or vegetable lettuce wraps as your meal.
We used to order the dumplings all of the time, but those are not the best choice if you’re trying to stick to healthier options;) Again, moderation is key!
AMERICAN FOOD HACKS:
This one is for all of the typical restaurants! In college, as you can tell, we ate out practically every meal. We used to hit up The Cheesecake Factory a TON. Those bread baskets (OMG). We usually will stay away from the bread baskets just because we could mindlessly eat 5 baskets without realizing. As we mentioned before, it is better to start with a salad rather than eat a ton of bread, and not have an appetite for your actual meal.
We will usually order chicken, steak, or fish with no butter and ask for a side of vegetables or side salad with the dressing on the side. Almost every restaurant will have some sort of burger or sandwich that you can easily ask for wrapped in lettuce or get it the way it comes. We would suggest just eating one of the buns with it, that way you’re getting to have the bun, but not eating both! We would also suggest substituting the fries or chips for a side salad or side of fruit.
If they do have a soup, we would stick to something that is broth-based with vegetables or meat in it, and not something super creamy.
DESSERT/DRINKS:
As far as dessert, we didn’t cover dessert on here because that’s something that we will have as I am craving it. Some of our favorite things to have are gelato or some kind of cake! We recommend thing like sorbets, fresh fruit, a flourless chocolate cake.
As far as drinks, we am probably not the best person to ask when it comes to that. We don’t particular like the taste of alcohol, except for really sweet, cheap wine, sangria, and champagne. If you’re trying to stick to healthier options, we would suggest wine, champagne, or something like tequila, gin, or vodka with fresh lime and/or mint in it. We shared some tips in this post.
Hope this was helpful! If you have any questions at all, feel free to reach out via email or comment below! Check out our fave Dallas spots here.
Holiday parties are in full-effect, and that means you need a good holiday sweater! We rounded up all of our favorites for you all, and the best part is: they are affordable and SO cute! Some of these would also make great gifts!
Last week we had the pleasure of staying at Hotel Teatro in Denver. We had never been to Denver before, so it was the perfect way to experience the city! Hotel Teatro is Denver’s original boutique hotel. It is located in the heart of Denver’s music and theatre district, so it is very walkable to a bunch of popular Denver locations such as Union Station, Coors Field, and the Denver Center for Performing Arts. It has been awarded with several awards, and they offer some really fun travel packages with your stay.
Upon arrival, we were welcomed to our spacious room with some homemade granola bars (SO yum, we couldn’t stop eating them!) and a yummy cheese board. They also had some customized Lululemon yoga mats for us for our trip to Red Rocks (more on that later!) The actual room was very open, and had plenty of room for all of our stuff. We loved that it had a coffee table and seating area to enjoy our snacks and in-room breakfast! The bathroom had a large counter space, as well as a separate shower, which we always love!
On our first night there, we dined at their historic restaurant, The Nickel. The actual restaurant is located within Denver’s historic Tramway Building, originally opened in 1911. The Nickel’s name comes from the fare collected from customers riding the streetcars. The food incorporates ingredients all over from farmers, ranchers, distillers, and craft producers. The menu is very unique, and all the foods is fresh. If you are charcuterie fan, you have to pay this spot a visit! They are known for their handpicked meats and cheeses from around the country!
We started off with a glass of sparking roses which came from South Africa, and was super refreshing and crisp! We both ordered the Colorado Bass, which was delicious, and split the asparagus and brussels sprouts. The brussels sprouts had a peanut sauce, which was really unique and tasty! For dessert, we had the Watermelon Brioche with Gooseberries. It was definitely unique, and we loved that it was super refreshing for summer.
On Saturday morning, we enjoyed their Red Rocks Recharge package, which provides the option to have the Guest Experience Manager book tickets to a sunrise yoga class at the Red Rocks Amphitheater. Although it was a super early wake-up call, it was perfectly planned out for us, and it was a beautiful way to start the day. We have taken many yoga classes, but this is one we will never forget! The scenery was incredible, and it left us feeling rejuvenated! The class was packed, and it can be very hard to get tickets, so we highly recommend getting this package. The package also includes a complimentary Hotel Teatro water bottle, house-made granola bars, Naked Juice, and transportation to and from the yoga.
After yoga, we had brunch at The Nickel. The food was delicious, and of course, we both ordered the same thing, haha. We started off with coffee and the Wedge Salad. We loved that it had chunks of fresh avocado in it. For our entrees, we got the Two Egg Breakfast, which was two eggs, chicken sausage, and a side salad. They also have some other really yummy options like french toast and pancakes if you’re craving something on the sweeter side! If you’re looking for brunch cocktails, they offer $20 bottomless bar cart with a Charcuterie Bloody Mary Bar, Mimosas, and White Russians with infused milks.We also got to go on a short hike close by Denver, which was so pretty!{ Shoes | Sunglasses | Shorts | Tank |Watch } { Shoes | Sunglasses | Leggings | Tank | Watch }
We also got to enjoy their delicious (and convenient) in-room breakfast. We ordered omelettes, some pancakes (SO GOOD)!, a root hash, and some coffee!{ Grey Tank | Shorts }
Hotel Teatro also has a a lounge/gathering area, The Study, which has a gorgeous fireplace, large bookshelves, and table games. If you’re looking for something on the lighter side for breakfast, they offer morning breads and coffee, cocktails, and charcuterie boards.
Since we are all looking for great customer service, especially when you’re staying in a new spot or city, they have a Guest Experience Manager on site to give good knowledge of the hotel and city for hotel guests.
If we had to pick a few things we didn’t enjoy as much, it would be that at night it can get noisy outside. Our room faced the downtown, so we woke up to loud noise outside our window. The hotel is a boutique hotel, so the decor and space focuses more on the history, so if you’re looking for a more urban/modern space, this is not the best option. Overall, though, we would recommend this spot for a fun weekend in Denver. We had a great time!{ Wedges | Romper }
We are SO excited to share our stay at Breathless Cabo Resort + Spa. We had the MOST incredible experience there. From the moment we were picked up from the Cabo airport by our hilarious driver who greeted us with beer, to the moment we left the resort, our time was nothing short of amazing. We seriously had THE best time, and we hope that is reflected in our pictures and videos. Be sure to check out our vlog (we apologize for the newbie editing; this is our first one!) to see all the behind the scenes, and highlights of our trip!
The resort is about 30 to 40 minutes away from the airport in Cabo. We enjoyed the drive over because you get to see all the new construction and different resorts on the way. When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted by the super sweet staff who helped us with our bags and gave us a tour of the resort. The resort is right on the Cabo marina (close to the shops, restaurants, and nightlife), as well as Medano Beach, which is actually swimmable!
They have two pools, one that is more quiet, and the other one, which we loved, that had a DJ, a ton of activities like water aerobics with Johnny, a great pool bar, Foam, and yes, even a foam party with super fun pool floats. We have stayed at some other resorts, and while their pools were relaxing, this one was so fun. One of the days, we had a bed with a bottle of champagne and a huge fruit plate, aka heaven. Our waitress, Vianey, was so sweet and made sure we had a great time! At 2 PM every day, they come out with a ton of margaritas and different cocktails for everyone at the pool, and it is just such a fun atmosphere. { Printed Swim Top | Printed Bottoms | Navy Crochet Top | Navy Crochet Bottoms | Duck Float }{ Blue Sunglasses | Silver Sunglasses }{ Purple Cover Up | Black Swimsuit | Hat }The quiet pool is near one of their restaurants called Bites, which is a sit-down restaurant that has a variety of dishes like ceviche, chips and guac, and fresh fish.{ Striped Dress | Hat } We loved the quiet pool to get work done, or to take some pictures. It overlooks the marina, which is so gorgeous to look at!{ Navy Crochet Top | Navy Crochet Bottoms | Hat| Silver Sunglasses | Earrings }{ Pom Pom Sandals | Striped Tote |Blue Sunglasses }
The larger pool overlooks the beach, which is incredible. You can actually sit on the beach, too, and they have water sports like kayaking, paddle boarding, jet skis, and snorkeling. Some of the other resorts we have stayed at in Mexico did not have water sports because the water is too rough, so we loved that this resort offered that. The resort is just steps away from the marina and shopping, so it was perfect for when we headed out on our Pancho tour with Blue Sky Cabo. We had THE best time on that tour and you can check out all of the reviews for them here. We got a ton of amazing photos and video, and they also offer sunset tours, which we will definitely be doing next time we go!
{ Gold Bikini Top | Gold Bottoms | Black Top | Jean Shorts | Hat | Sunglasses | Blue Sunglasses | Blue Earrings }Another super important thing to us is fitness, as you all know;) They have a gym that has cardio equipment like treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes, as well as free weights and some machines. They also offer poolside yoga and pilates every morning, and a fitness class at 10 AM. We had the opportunity to workout with one of the trainers of Elite Fit Agency, Darren. He put us through a great full-body workout (see our vlog for more), and we did a variety of things using body-weight, free weights, and TRX cables. We normally just workout ourselves, but it was nice to have a change, and we were both sore the next day. We also took a water aerobics class at the pool with Johnny, which was so fun! He made sure to make us laugh the entire time, and we actually really worked out our legs and glutes, all while getting a nice tan;)
The spa at the resort was absolutely breathtaking (very fitting as Breathless, haha)! They offer tons of great services including facials, deep tissue massages, manis and pedis, and even the fish spa. We both got a deep tissue massage and a fish pedicure. If you’re thinking what the heck is a fish pedicure, it’s basically a tub of water with fish called Garra rufa that eat away at dead skin. It kind of feels like someone is tickling your feet! They have both a hot and wet sauna, as well as a giant shower filled with fresh water to use after the sauna. The most incredible feature of the spa is the view from the giant terrace (BIG heart emoji eyes). Y’all, we could have just stayed there our entire trip because it was so beautiful! They have champagne and light snacks out there as well to enjoy!Speaking of amazing views, the rooftop lounge, Purple, at the resort is unreal! We went up there for some drinks (the bartender made the most amazing mojito) and to snap some photos as always, and it was the most amazing view we have ever seen! You can see the beach straight ahead and then the marina to the right!
Being the foodies that we are, we loved all of the food options. We will say we are not super picky when it comes to food. As y’all know, we eat super healthy, so we basically just need lots of veggies, salads, and protein and we will be happy campers. The problem for us usually is that we are ALWAYS hungry. For that reason, we love all inclusive resorts because we can eat whenever and whatever we want and not feel guilty that we are breaking the bank. At this resort, they had Spoon, a buffet option located right next to the pool deck. This meant that you get the most gorgeous view of the marina and beach every time you have a meal! They served breakfast and lunch there. We loved all of the option they had within the buffet. They had TONS of salads (you could build your own), cold dishes like ceviches and shrimp cocktail, and then they had lots of vegetarian and meat options with the hot bar (it was all so good!). For breakfast, they had the usual bacon, eggs, toast, fruit, etc and then they had a omelette station.We loved that you picked your own ingredients in a bowl for your omelet and then the chef made with eggs, eggs whites, etc. SO much easier and no lines or angry chefs (yes, this has happened to us too many times)! They also had fresh juices and yummy desserts! They have some other places to sit down and order food (one near the quiet pool called Bites). They also have 24 hour room service that is all included (we definitely did some midnight snacking on fajitas)!Downstairs, near the beach, they had several other restaurants (some open for lunch and dinner). We ate at all of them and really enjoyed them. As always, you can order as much food as you want! So, if you’re still hungry after your meal, you just order again!
Sashimi from one of the restaurants:They have one restaurant, La Biblioteca de Tequila that is an extra charge. Theyre known for their tequila obviously, but the food was really good too! We got the salmon and the steak and they were both amazing and great portion sizes, too! All of these restaurants had great views of the ocean, so perfect setting when the sun is going down!Now, let’s talk about the gorgeous room! Our room was part of the Xcelor club, so it’s a bit larger than the regular rooms (but those are still spacious). The Xcelor club was nice because they had tons of drinks, a nespresso, an open bar, and tons of little snacks throughout the day. We loved our room, and would have happily moved in! We loved how open and bright it was even without lights on! It had a huge open bathroom with a double vanity, separate toilet room, and a huge shower with a rain faucet. We also loved that they had great toiletries (including our favorite whitening toothpaste!). We were obsessed with the amazing balcony and the gorgeous marina view we had. If only we could wake up to that everyday!
There were two things we weren’t the biggest fans of. Trust us, it was hard to come with stuff we didn’t like! The way the resort is positioned, you have to walk from one tower to the other to go from the lobby or rooms to the beach/pool area and the gym. It was a nice walk scenery wise, but it sometimes is a pain because it can feel like a hassle if you left something in the room to walk all the way back. On a normal day, we didn’t mind it. You are walking on a portion of the boardwalk when you switch towers, but it’s technically still part of the hotel and they have security that ask about your room number and check upon entry to either tower. You also need to use your key to get into either tower, so we never felt unsafe. The other thing we thought needed a little improvement was the number of outlets in the room. We could make it work by unplugging lamps and phones, but it would be easier if there were more to plug in laptops, phones, curling irons, etc.
With all of that being said, we can’t say enough good things about Breathless Resorts Cabo. We were so sad to be leaving, but like they say, back to reality! So many of our friends and peers have asked us if it really looked like the pictures, and yes, it truly is as pretty as it looked! We highly recommend going there for your next getaway! We know we will be back soon!
How fun is this lace-up sweater?! It comes in black, too and is perfect for spring! It fits a little lower, but not too low, to where it is too revealing!
Shop more lace up sweaters tops here:
We paired it with the best stretchy ripped jeans (seriously fit SO amazing), and they’re the kind of jeans you can wear over and over without them stretching out too much! This bag is under $80, and comes in black, too! It holds so much, and looks way more pricey than what it is!These lace up sandals are the perfect spring shoe and go with EVERYTHING! We wear these all of the time!Here are the GREAT sales taking place today:
NORDSTROM: major sale on tons of stuff (up t0 40% off) more details in this post!
QUICK TIPS:
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Another super important thing to us is fitness, as you all know;) They have a gym that has cardio equipment like treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes, as well as free weights and some machines. They also offer poolside yoga and pilates every morning, and a fitness class at 10 AM. We had the opportunity to workout with one of the trainers of Elite Fit Agency, Darren. He put us through a great full-body workout (see our vlog for more), and we did a variety of things using body-weight, free weights, and TRX cables. We normally just workout ourselves, but it was nice to have a change, and we were both sore the next day. We also took a water aerobics class at the pool with Johnny, which was so fun! He made sure to make us laugh the entire time, and we actually really worked out our legs and glutes, all while getting a nice tan;) 
We loved that you picked your own ingredients in a bowl for your omelet and then the chef made with eggs, eggs whites, etc. SO much easier and no lines or angry chefs (yes, this has happened to us too many times)! They also had fresh juices and yummy desserts! They have some other places to sit down and order food (one near the quiet pool called Bites). They also have 24 hour room service that is all included (we definitely did some midnight snacking on fajitas)!
Downstairs, near the beach, they had several other restaurants (some open for lunch and dinner). We ate at all of them and really enjoyed them. As always, you can order as much food as you want! So, if you’re still hungry after your meal, you just order again!
They have one restaurant, La Biblioteca de Tequila that is an extra charge. Theyre known for their tequila obviously, but the food was really good too! We got the salmon and the steak and they were both amazing and great portion sizes, too! All of these restaurants had great views of the ocean, so perfect setting when the sun is going down!
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Some fun treats they left us in our room:)
Here are some of our outfits from dinner each night:
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We paired it with the 
