Last year it wouldn't have been 26 points though tardis! They have just reduced the minimum level from 29 to 26.
Nutcracker I just started doing it a few weeks back (the online version) and it gave me 26 points but I found it VERY hard to stick to, and it did take a lot of what I would consider "abnormal" eating and feeling deprived. Too much of the time I went well over, got annoyed and then ended up pigging out in irritation.
Then I read a message on there saying that if you found this too low, and had been losing weight before they reduced the limit (tho that didn't apply to me as I only joined after they reduced it...) it was OK to adjust your limit back up to up to 29 points. So I bumped mine straight up to 29 and it was definitely the right thing to do for me!
So the last few weeks I have been using 29 points, plus usually my whole weekly allowance too and any extra points from exercise, and have still been averaging 1lb/week weight loss. It's much better because I can still have some relatively normal meals, eat with the kids etc and still have enough "allowed" treats to stop me feeling too deprived and then pigging out. And it feels much more sustainable for the long term.
Re eating, I have been watching portions (less cereal, pasta etc), found some bread that doesn't use too many points (warburtons wholemeal, or orange fruit loaf for a breakfast treat!), and tried to do more cooking with veg and quorn - vegetable-based soups, stir fries, quorn curries... Things with just a little meat are good too, e.g. a tiny bit of bacon in tomato pasta sauce adds a lot of flavour for not many points. Eating more fruit and salad to fill me up, and the WW dessert-style yogurts are v. nice and only a point each. And as much exercise as I could manage (though not this week as full of cold!).