It wouldn’t be a stretch to say bodybuilder Derek Lunsford is in a critical period of his career. As the reigning 212 Olympia Champion, Lunsford has his sights on a repeat performance at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. While his off-season ramps up, he has to fuel that potential repeat with the proper nutrition. 

On June 1, 2022, Lunsford shared a full day of eating on his YouTube channel. The protein-packed, carbohydrate-loaded schedule is a glimpse into preparing one of modern bodybuilding’s elite competitors. 

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It’s a busy day of nutrition for Lunsford and he wastes no time diving right in. 

Meal 1

For breakfast, Lunsford wastes no time packing on the protein and carbs. He eats 200 grams of egg whites, three ounces of Icon Meals™ steak, and some mushrooms and potatoes (quantity unspecified)

In total, his breakfast comes out to 50 grams of protein and 60 grams of carbs. Lunsford notes that he generally aims to eat something similar at each meal. After he finishes breakfast, Lunsford takes a couple of scoops of supplements from Evolog™ and Evovite™. He does this a few times a day and maintains the supplements help with any potential nausea since he’s consuming so much food. 

Meal 2

At mid-morning, Lunsford combines eight ounces of some Icon Meals™ shredded chicken and eight ounces of white rice into a bowl. He also generously lathers buffalo wing sauce and light ranch all over the chicken. Lunsford explains that it’s the off-season, and he’s giving himself some breathing room. If he were in prep mode, he would not be as generous with things like sauces. 

I like consistency when I eat. I like each bite to be about the same.

Lunsford’s second meal comes out to 50 grams of protein and 75 grams of carbs. 

Meal 3

For his third meal of the day, Lunsford leans on a pre-workout shake with an unspecified amount of cream of rice. He also includes almond milk and a scoop of Evogen’s™ chocolate protein powder. This adds up to 50 grams of protein and 75 grams of carbs. Lunsford notes that drinking a protein shake at this moment is a bit from the norm for his diet. 

“Normally, I like to eat most of my meals, and a protein shake is like post-workout,” Lunsford says. “Sometimes I’ll even have a second shake of the day, but I like to eat whole food. I like to eat chicken, beef, salmon, eggs, whatever.”

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Meal 4

Lunsford says he still does cheat meals where he treats himself in the full throes of his off-season. His fourth meal of the day is a reflection of that. After waking up from a late nap, the bodybuilder eats eight ounces of ground chicken with taco seasoning and eight ounces of rice. It’s another 50 grams of protein and 60 grams of carbs. 

Lunsford insists that the day he filmed the video was a rest day, so he’s again giving himself more leeway. 

“Today, I’m not training. I’m resting.” Lunsford says. “So, I’ll eat five meals for sure, and late tonight I’ll eat a sixth meal. I do have cheat meals sometimes, like twice a week I’m having cheat meals.”

Meal 5

For his (usual) fifth meal of the day, Lunsford goes to one of his tried-and-true staples: An unspecified amount of steak and white rice. This meal tops out at 50 grams of protein and 80 grams of carbs.

As Lunsford explains, he believes that a bodybuilder should consume red meat at least once a day during their off-season. 

“I think you need to eat at least one red meat meal a day in the off-season, maybe two,” Lunsford says. “I wouldn’t eat too much, but one to two meals a day is good. You’ll probably notice your strength goes up, your volume will increase, so this is important to get at least a little red meat into your diet consistently.”

Meal 6

Lunsford has one more protein shake to close out his day of eating before sleeping. It has the same almond milk structure, except this time he puts in two scoops of Evogen’s™ protein. The final shake gives Lunsford another 50 grams of protein and 75 grams of carbs. 

On the whole, Lunsford’s entire day’s total of protein comes out to 300 grams. His carb total is 425 grams. 

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Mr. Olympia Is Next

Lunsford will assuredly continue to plug away in his off-season as he prepares for December’s Mr. Olympia. His nutrition should undoubtedly play a huge role in his performance on stage. The bodybuilder will try to become a repeat 212 Olympia Champion on December 15-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV. 

Featured image: @dereklunsford_ on Instagram