Objective To analyze the real experiences of patients with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)during dietary restrictions,providing references for healthcare personnel to guide patients in standardizing dietary restriction behaviors.Methods Purposeful sampling was employed to select 14 patients with IBD who were treated at a tertiary A hospital in Shanghai between October 2022 and February 2023 for semi-structured in-depth interviews.Data were analyzed using the Colaizzi's 7-step method in phenomenological research.Results 4 themes and 13 sub-themes were extracted.Theme 1:facing multiple physiological challenges(hunger,nutritional imbalance,fatigue and muscle atrophy).Theme 2:experiencing negative psychological disturbances(craving and struggle for gourmet food,diminished zest for life and increased anxiety,feeling embarrassed during social activities).Theme 3:adopting various coping strategies(self-adjustment and adaptation to dietary restrictions,satisfying oral desires through various avenues,seeking knowledge and guidance on nutrition).Theme 4:gaining more growth and support(improved symptom and quality of life,enhanced awareness of dietary health,improved ability to manage diet,receiving support from peers and family).Conclusion The experience of dietary restrictions in IBD patients is complex and varied.Nursing staff should prioritize nutritional risk screening for IBD patients,pay attention to their mental health,provide patients with scientific and personalized dietary guidance,and strengthen social and family support to assist patients in better self-management of their diet.