Thanks in advance for any help that can be provided. I'm trying to get back into shape and modify my diet. I have been a vegetarian my entire life, but will eat dairy products. Is my fat content too high? I have been lifting weights and I'm trying to gain muscle.

My daily numbers are Calories 1,878, Fat 91.5, Carb 120.7, Protein 159.3
Fat (42%), Carbs (25%), Protein (33%)

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Breakfast 7am
2 morningstar patties (Cal 163, Fat 6.3, Carb 6.7, Prot 19.6)
2 eggs scrambled, (143, 9.9, 0.8, 12.6)
1 slice of wheat bread. (89, 1.2, 17.2, 3.2)
395 Calories, Fat 17.4, Carb 24.7, Protein 35.2
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Snack 10:30am
2 eggs (Cal 143, Fat 9.9, Carb 0.8, Protein 12.6)
1 slice of wheat bread (89, 1.2, 17.2, 3.2)
2 tbsp of peanut butter (188, 16.1, 6.3, 8.0)
420 Calories, Fat 27.2 , Carb 24.3 , Protein 23.8.
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Lunch 12:30pm
Fresh spinach (Cal 28, Fat 0.5, Carb 4.4, Protein 3.4)
Romaine Lettuce (32, 0.6, 6.2, 2.3)
60 Calories, Fat 1.1, Carb 10.6, Protein 5.7
---
Later Lunch 2pm
2 slice of wheat bread (Cal 179, Fat 2.4 Carb 34.4, Protein 6.3)
White American Cheese (344, 27.3, 4.9, 20.1)
523 Cal, Fat 29.7, Carb 39.3, Protein 26.4
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Dinner 6:30pm
Meatless Meatballs (280 Cal, Fat 12.0, Carb 16.0, Protein 32.0)
Bread (89, 1.2, 17.2, 3.2)
369 Cal, Fat 13.2, Carb 32.2, Protein 35.2)
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Snack 8:30pm
Designer Whey Protein 200 Cal, Fat 4.0, Carb 6.0, Protein 36.0)

I'm not exactly sure of the rules on the zone program..
But your menu doesn't look like that of a LC plan.
My concern wouldn't be so much about the fat, but the bread you eat at every meal.
Are you concerned that you are not losing, or just wanting some input in general?

Either way, best of luck!

Looking for general input to improve the diet. I'm basing some of my diet off the zone, but not entirely...

Any thoughts on bread substitutes?

Actually, I'd go with *eliminating* the bread.
You pretty much don't need it as a 'carrier' for anything that you're eating, since all of your other choices can be eaten without it. If you absolutely positively (mentally) need something like a bread, switch to a single warm pappadum, or lentil cracker bread (3-5g ECC), or a couple of Dr. Kracker's seed/nut crackers (1g carb per cracker), or a single warmed low carb tortilla (carb counts vary.) Most of those will also bump up your protein/fat intake so that you aren't just eating empty carbs, and you'll be eating far less carbs with those choices.

You might try mixing the peanut butter with some protein powder and/or finely ground nuts, to create a sort of peanut butter truffle--then you wouldn't need bread to spread it on. Or it it right off the spoon or out of the jar with a veggie dipper.

If it were me, I'd loose the bread you're eating with the so-called 'later lunch' and just eat the cheese with the spinach and lettuce at some point half-way between your first lunch and your 'later lunch' (they're only 90 minutes apart, after all.) Toss some nuts and other veggies in and you'd have a respectable salad.

You do realize, btw, that the trace amounts of protein in those greens is not really effectively metabolized by the body...not unlike the trace amounts of protein in things like pork rinds. So at the very least, I'd add some protein to that 12:30 meal, which will keep you from being hungry and/or needing to eat within 90 minutes.

This is the day from your orig. post. I just removed the bread and put suggestions in breads place to give you a general idea of a day without the bread. Oh I also moved around the eggs because your snack was way more substantial than your lunch.


Breakfast 7am
2 morningstar patties (Cal 163, Fat 6.3, Carb 6.7, Prot 19.6)
2 eggs scrambled, (143, 9.9, 0.8, 12.6)
2 tomato slices

--
Snack 10:30am
celery sticks dipped in peanut butter


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Lunch 12:30pm
Fresh spinach (Cal 28, Fat 0.5, Carb 4.4, Protein 3.4)
Romaine Lettuce (32, 0.6, 6.2, 2.3)
crumbled blue cheese
2 hard boiled eggs

---
Later Lunch 2pm
handful of almonds
White American Cheese (344, 27.3, 4.9, 20.1)


Dinner 6:30pm
Meatless Meatballs (280 Cal, Fat 12.0, Carb 16.0, Protein 32.0)
spinach and mushrooms sauteed with fresh garlic and olive oil

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Snack 8:30pm
Designer Whey Protein 200 Cal, Fat 4.0, Carb 6.0, Protein 36.0)[/QUOTE]

I would definitely get rid of the bread--it seems hard at first, but you get over it pretty quick. I would also get rid of all your processed meat substitutes...those aren't exactly real food, and your body won't appreciate them. I think you should either eat real meat, or use dairy/eggs as a substitute. Should probably switch from American cheese to a less processed version as well.

And for breakfast you listed two scrambled eggs...you just scramble them in the pan, and don't cook them in butter or anything? If you don't, I would recommend doing that, since the extra fat will help satiate you, and then you might not need a substitute for the bread, you can just take it out.

Hope that helps and wasn't confusing