CARLOS MENCIA’S life has lately been about transformations: transformations in perspective, attitude and how he deals with his emotions.

But in his new Comedy Central special, “Carlos Mencia: New Territory,” one of his more obvious transformations is evident as soon as he takes the stage: the chubby, angry performer who railed about current events and cultural differences for four seasons on “Mind of Mencia” has given way to a lean presence who is still passionate but is not nearly so confrontational.

“I always knew I was going to lose weight,” Mr. Mencia, 44, said a few weeks ago in the lobby of the Times Square hotel where he was staying while appearing at the Gotham Comedy Club. After a diabetic friend told Mr. Mencia that he was fat, he went on a mission to slim down.

The 70-pound weight loss, however, is the least of the changes he says he has made in his life. Two years ago, Mr. Mencia went into therapy to examine why he had become one of the most hated men in stand-up comedy, disliked by fellow stand-ups as well as comedy fans. What he found out affected how, he says, he conveys his comedy to audiences; he’s now more careful to let people in on the motivations for his jokes.