Derek Lunsford‘s mission to win back his Mr. Olympia title is dictating his every rep and meal. On Sept. 23, 2025, he detailed his high-carb full day of eating three weeks from competing at the biggest show of the year.
In 2022, Lunsford took second place at the Mr. Olympia after receiving a special invite. This moment changed the trajectory of his career — he fully committed to the Men’s Open, and a year later, won the Sandow trophy, cementing himself as the sport’s first two-division Olympia winner.
He missed his peak at the 2024 Olympia, which opened the door for Samson Dauda to win. However, Lunsford got revenge weeks later when he defeated Dauda at the Arnold Classic. Unlike past seasons, Lunsford didn’t want to wait around for Vegas. He picked up momentum with a huge win over Nick Walker at the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro. With Olympia redemption fueling his every move, he laid out the sustainable diet that’s helped him get in shape.
Derek Lunsford’s Full Day of Eating 3 Weeks Before the 2025 Mr. Olympia
Find his meals from the video below, which came to an approximate total of over 4,000 calories:
Meal 1
- 7 oz bison
- 400 grams of rice
Despite competing in just three weeks, Lunsford got to enjoy a high-carb day, starting with a double serving of white rice alongside bison.
“My first meal is always bison and rice. Today is a high-carb day, so we’re getting double carbs in this first meal.”
Lunsford’s Morning Supplement Stack
These are his go-to supplements in the morning:
- Multivitamin
- Vitamin C
- Fish Oil
- Vitamin D
- Liver Support
- Zinc
- Calcium D-glucarate
Meal 2
- 7 oz chicken
- 500 grams of rice
- Red Hot wing sauce
He moved on with another meal of chicken and rice, stressing that he feels and performs his best when he keeps his diet clean.
“This is my favorite meal,” said Lunsford. “I could be out here eating other things. I like to eat healthy because I feel better, I perform better, and ultimately, you look better. I don’t know why I’m prolonging this meal, I think I’m just really wanting to savor this.”
Meal 3
- 50-gram protein shake
- 2 bananas
After training biceps, triceps, and calves, Lunsford refueled with a fast-digesting whey protein shake and two bananas.
“Arms usually takes me two hours to train, believe it or not, because you got biceps, triceps, and then I always throw in some calves and sometimes some abs. Today, just felt like a never-ending arm day, which is good because those extra carbs from earlier, I do feel more energy after I got moving.”
Meal 4
- 400 grams of rice
- 10 oz of cod
Lunsford is keeping his protein sources consistent throughout the final stages of prep. This gives him the advantage of knowing how his body will respond before consuming it.
“We’re doing the same protein sources all day long, same amount of the protein. We’re just increasing the carbs,” he adds.
Meal 5
- 8 oz of bison
- 300 grams of potato
Later in the day, Lunsford took down another bison meal, but swapped out the rice for potatoes.
“About to head home, but before I do, I’ll show you this last meal.”
Meal 6
- 8 oz of shrimp/cod
- 300 grams of rice
For bedtime, Lunsford enjoyed a mix of shrimp and cod with rice before calling it a day.
“A pretty hefty last meal. This would be normally be a pre-workout meal for me, but this is a pre-bedtime meal.”
Lunsford’s rivalry with Walker has reached a new level of intensity since their brush-up in Pittsburgh. After Lunsford told Walker he should be thankful for their battle, “The Mutant” turned up the heat. He called Lunsford ‘disrespectful as fu**,’ and said he has a ‘shitstorm’ coming at the 2025 Mr. Olympia.
Lunsford is keeping his diet clean and high in carbs just a few weeks from competing. He believes this combination will lay the foundation for a title-winning performance when the event makes its return from Oct. 9-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Watch the full video from the Derek Lunsford YouTube channel below:
Relive every moment from the 2025 Mr. Olympia, including prejudging, highlights, expert analysis, and full results. Explore our Olympia hub: FitnessVolt.com/olympia. For minute-by-minute coverage, follow our Live Blog.
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
